Draymond Green has reignited his long-running friction with Stephen A. Smith, this time questioning whether the ESPN personality deserves to call himself a journalist at all. Green made the comments while appearing on Jemele Hill’s podcast this week, tying his criticism directly to how Smith has covered Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown during trade rumors and reporting built on anonymous sources.The comments arrive during an already chaotic stretch for Brown, who was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and multiple draft picks roughly a week ago. That trade set off a chain reaction across NBA media, and Green’s remarks are the latest flashpoint in it.
How did Stephen A. Smith and Draymond Green’s latest feud start?
The dispute traces back to how Smith and other media figures characterized Brown around the trade. Reports citing unnamed sources questioned Brown’s demeanor and value, prompting pushback from players including LeBron James and Austin Rivers. Brown has separately accused Smith of leaning on “clickbait” tactics after Smith aired an anonymous message criticizing his personality.Green picked up that thread with Hill, arguing Smith invokes the “journalist” label without doing the legwork that comes with it. “He throws out the journalist tag all the time,” Green said, adding that real accountability means showing up in person the way a beat writer would. He argued that pattern is part of why athletes have grown skeptical of media credibility across the league.Separately, Green also defended Brown’s intelligence after Colin Cowherd suggested on his show that Brown’s self-regard bordered on a “disease.” Green called that framing absurd, saying Jaylen Brown is “brilliant” and pushing back on the idea that confidence should be treated as a flaw.
Stephen A. Smith and Draymond Green have a long history
This isn’t the first time the two have clashed. In 2024, Green criticized Smith on Shaquille O’Neal’s podcast for how Smith discussed his indefinite suspension after striking Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic, saying Smith failed to separate the person from the player. Smith fired back on First Take, listing years of on-air support for Green and saying he wished Green had called him privately instead of going public.In 2025, Green weighed in again after LeBron James confronted Smith at a Lakers game over comments about James’ son, Bronny. Green called Smith’s remarks about fatherhood out of bounds, saying criticizing James “as a father” crossed a line Smith wouldn’t cross face to face.
What happens next between Stephen A. Smith and Draymond Green?
Smith has not yet addressed Green’s latest comments directly, but the pattern between the two suggests a response is likely given how consistently they’ve traded public jabs over the past two years. Brown, meanwhile, remains at the center of the broader anonymous-sourcing debate as he begins his new chapter in Philadelphia, and how Smith frames that coverage going forward may determine whether this specific dispute with Green cools down or escalates again.
