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Oct 15, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) talk on court before warm up at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Draymond Green Has Strong Words for Former NBA Guard

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Sep 10, 2025 12:30 AM ET

Draymond Green has never been one to hold back his true feelings on any topic or person.

In a live-streamed chat with Kai Cenat, Green dished his thoughts on one of the NBA’s evergreen burning topics—LeBron James versus Michael Jordan.

If you ask Green, he sides with his Western Conference foe, based on what LeBron accomplished during his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Did LeBron Have Enough Help?

Some called it a carry job when LeBron James and the Cavaliers won the NBA Finals in 2016.

Green doesn’t believe that idea is far-fetched. It started with thoughts on the former veteran sharpshooter, JR Smith.

Draymond Green explains why LeBron is the GOAT

“MJ had Pippen, Bron was winning games with Matthew Delladova.. that guy STINKS, no disrespect.”

(h/t @big_business_ )

pic.twitter.com/msM00UauiJ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 9, 2025

“People threw the towel in on JR Smith,” Green said on stream.

“As talented as he was, people threw the towel in on him … It’s not just JR, though. If you look at some of the guys he had to lead. JR had talent, no question, but people threw the towel in on him, though. When people throw the towel in on you in this league, it’s over. People threw the towel in on JR, and Bron was like, ‘Nah, this man can shoot and he can defend, I can do something with that.’”

Smith, a former 18th overall pick, started his career with the Hornets. After stints with the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks, he joined the Cavs in 2015 for a five-year run. The year the Cavs won the title, Smith averaged 12.4 points while shooting 40 percent from three.

Beyond JR Smith, Green picked on the scrappy guard, Matthew Dellavedova. It’s safe to say the Golden State Warriors star is not a fan of his hoops game.

“I don’t think MJ had many guys that went through that. [Matthew Dellavedova] stinks,” Green added. “He won two games in the NBA Finals with him, [Dellavedova] stinks. I got a lot of respect for Delly… Stinks! Completely stinks. To win with guys like that… MJ wasn’t winning with Matthew Dellavedova.”

When the Cavaliers won the title, LeBron appeared in 76 games during the regular season. He posted averages of 25.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game.

During the postseason, LeBron averaged 26.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game in 21 outings. He won his third NBA championship that year, marking his first and only while with the Cavs.

Smith went on to join LeBron on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019-2020. They won one more title together. As for Dellavedova, he went to the Milwaukee Bucks after winning it all with the Cavaliers. During his third season in Milwaukee, Dellavedova was traded back to the Cavaliers.

He spent two more full seasons with the Cavs before signing with the Sacramento Kings. The Sactown run ended up being his final stint in the NBA. After the 2022-2023 season, Dellavedova has been back in Australia, playing professionally for Melbourne United and the Sydney Kings.