Feb 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images John Hefti-Imagn Images

9-Time NBA All-Star Reacts to Draymond Green’s Viral Quote

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Feb 25, 2025 7:40 PM ET

The NBA All-Star Game is in the rearview, but the conversation surrounding the new format is still a key discussion among fans and players.

As the tournament went on, it became clear that the Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green did not approve of the new format. The outspoken veteran went viral for his quote as he was critical of the way the tournament was playing out.

“You work all year to be an All-Star, and you get to play up to 40, and then you’re done. This is so unfair to Victor Wembanyama, who just took this game really seriously. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who just took this game seriously. When you talk about chasing after the points record, Melo, Kobe and all these guys that had great scoring nights, they don’t get the opportunity to do that with this game. All so we can watch some rising stars,” Green stated.

“You work all year to be an All-Star. And you get to play up to 40 and then you’re done… Cmon what are we doing? This is ridiculous.”

Draymond Green GOES OFF on the new All-Star Game format

Agree or disagree with Draymond? pic.twitter.com/OCJjn0H7et
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 17, 2025

Many agreed with the four-time NBA Champion’s sentiments. Others believed his rant was going too far, as it was seen as discrediting the younger players, who got a chance to shine on the same stage as some of the most notable players in the game.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George didn’t take any issue with Green’s statement. As a multi-time All-Star himself, George feels Green’s point was valid.

“I one hundred percent agree,” George said on ‘Podcast P,’ a Wave Original. “I think obviously Draymond's message was a hundred percent. I think people were offended by the delivery of it, but I think a hundred percent All-Star Weekend is for the All-Stars, the guys that carry the league.”

While George wasn’t necessarily a fan of the new format, he showed an appreciation for the league’s efforts to try and shake things up to make the main event of the weekend more competitive and entertaining for the fans that tune in every year and feel that the previous formats have come up short lately.

“You had the OGs that didn't want to show up or get shown up by these rising stars,” George added.

“So I thought it elevated the game to have the OGs play harder to not be embarrassed. So what the NBA did, I thought, was trying to be creative to make the game more interesting, more entertaining, more competitive. I liked that aspect of it.”

It’s unclear if the new format is here to stay, but other ideas have already been tossed out there, such as a 1-on-1 tournament among All-Star players, which is an idea George admittedly loves. However, the star forward believes that scenario could run into the same issue as the dunk contest, lacking star power.

The NBA has plenty of time to figure out what’s next.