“It’s Difficult To Defend You”: Stephen A. Smith Claps Back at Draymond Green for Calling Out His Journalistic Standards

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith and power forward Draymond Green have not seen eye to eye in a long time, and their latest feud amplified mutual negative sentiment. Smith fired back at Green for his comments on sports writer Jemele Hill's podcast, discrediting the veteran analyst.

The former Golden State Warrior doesn't see Smith, who has been reporting since the 1990s, as a credible source of information. He especially doesn't agree with Smith labelling himself a journalist. Green claimed that he doesn't see Smith doing insider work. Stephen A. Smith, clearly offended, replied to Green's comments and called the four-time NBA champion out.

"Draymond, when are you gonna stop dancing around issues involving me and tell them what’s up? You and I were pretty tight. And then after the choking incident with Rudy Gobert and the slap to Jusuf Nurkic, I upset you because I called you and said it’s difficult to defend you … We’ve never talked since that time."

Stephen A. Smith's feud with Green is not new. When Green held Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold back in 2023 and struck Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face, Smith personally told him that he would not defend him. Green then accused Smith of not separating the sport from the player on Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal’s podcast. Green also clashed with Smith when the analyst took shots at four-time NBA champion LeBron James' son, Bronny, in the league.

Smith has been with ESPN for almost two decades now, appearing on  SportsCenter and NBA Countdown, and is a commentator on ESPN's First Take. He has also hosted The Stephen A. Smith Show. So while he might not be inside the locker rooms, he is an authority on the league.

Smith has been at loggerheads with several NBA players in the past. Houstan Rockets' power forward Kevin Durant had an issue with Smith speaking about his free agency rumors back in 2015. Point Guard Kyrie Irving was majorly criticised by Smith during his time with the Brooklyn Nets.

In the midst of this ongoing issue, Stephen A. Smith also brought up his past issues with former Celtics guard Jaylen Brown.

How Stephen A. Smith's Jaylen Brown Coverage Fueled Green's Critique

Green also spoke about his dislikes of how the analyst stirred up narratives about Jaylen Brown after he got traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

"Jaylen Brown has been very outspoken about the anonymous sources and all of these things.' Like, you say all these things on television, and then you throw out the word 'journalist', which almost makes people, especially athletes, not respect journalists."

Stephen A. Smith then circled back to when he spoke to Brown as a journalist and did a one-on-one interview with him.

"Y’all forgot the fact that I did sit down with him face to face in Boston a year ago after he had a problem with what I said when all I said was what other people was thinking while defending him for years."

Smith and Brown have gotten into a verbal altercation as of late. While not necessarily in person, they would respond to each other's comments. Brown recently called Smith the "face of clickbait media". The analyst then threatened the Sixers star that he'd reveal the All-Star's true dynamics in the locker room.

Stephen A. Smith has quickly become the center of controversy, now beefing with both Draymond Green and Jaylen Brown publicly. His relationship with Green, which was once friendly, has quickly deteriorated in the past few years.