“SHUT UP”: Draymond Green reacts to Denzel Washington’s blistering attack on sports media talking heads

Draymond Green backed actor Denzel Washington’s fiery criticism of sports media figures, targeting analysts who comment on sports despite never having played them. Washington delivered his sharp remarks in a recent Sports Illustrated interview.

In the discussion, Washington took aim at so-called “opinionaires” who speak on sports without firsthand experience, leading to “too much talking” on air.

Trending

“Everybody's got an opinion,” Washington said. We live in a world of ‘opinionaires.’ They're on the shows, a bunch of guys, a couple of them that have played, but most of them who haven't, who have an opinion about what something should be when they haven't done it.

“Those who have (played) know what they're talking about. Those who haven't don't. Period.”

Green shared the clip of Washington’s comments on his Instagram Stories, echoing the sentiment with the caption:

“Some Can! Most Can’t! SHUT UP!!!!”

Green also added, “Preach.”

Washington went on to say that more of these commentators “need to shut up” and “learn how to do something.”

“Just because you can sit behind a desk and chit-chat doesn't mean you can do a damn thing,” he said.

Draymond Green has also become a basketball talking head. In 2021, he debuted his podcast, where he shares his “unfiltered thoughts” on the NBA, music, tech and more.

Draymond Green once called out basketball media for unfairly portraying him

In May, Green was in the headlines after picking up his fifth technical foul of the 2025 playoffs for elbowing Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid in the second quarter of Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal, which the Warriors lost 117-93.

After the game, Green told reporters in the locker room that he feels unfairly targeted, claiming there’s an “agenda” to portray him as “an angry Black man.”

READ: Draymond Green calls out supposed agenda against him framing him as an 'angry Black man'

“I'm not an angry Black man,” Green said. “I'm a very successful, educated Black man. I'm great at what I do... The agenda to keep making me look like an angry Black man is crazy. I’m sick of it. It’s ridiculous.”

Green’s history of controversies continues to shadow him, from punching former teammate Jordan Poole, to putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold, frequent clashes with referees and opponents and his infamous groin-kicking incidents, including one aimed at then-OKC center Steven Adams.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

Know More