“Let the Man Fly in Peace”: Draymond Green Gets Fiery Over Noise Around LeBron James’ Helicopter Commute

Draymond Green has a long history of going to bat for LeBron James, far beyond anything said on a podcast. Back in February 2023, Green asked Golden State to let him skip part of a road trip just so he could be in Los Angeles when James broke the NBA's all-time scoring record, a request coach Steve Kerr turned down given the Warriors' own schedule.

That level of loyalty is exactly the energy Green brought this week, except this time James wasn't making history. He was trying to get to work.

James confirmed at 76ers media day that he'll split his time between New York and Philadelphia this season. He will commute roughly 45 minutes each way by helicopter rather than facing a two-hour drive. The arrangement comes at no cost to him.

According to TMZ, the flights are part of his endorsement deal with Fanatics, which grants him free use of the company's branded helicopter, as a source called him one of its "most important athletes in the world."

Those trips, each worth an estimated $6,000 to $9,000 if paid out of pocket, have been photographed and posted online repeatedly since training camp began. Turning a routine commute into a recurring story.

"Number one, like, let that man fly in peace," Green said on his podcast. "Y'all recording this man every time he take off and land, and he's landing in the city and leaving — let that man fly in peace. Let that brother get to work. How he going to get to work and get home?"

"Must be slow news days, man," he added. "Everybody making this man's method of transportation a thing. Let that man go, come and go as he please, in peace. People so goddamn nosy."

Green didn't stop at defending the helicopter itself. He pointed back to comments from James' longtime agent, Rich Paul, who recently argued that private travel isn't a luxury for every star, but a necessity for a specific few.

"If you remember a few weeks ago, Rich Paul said there's two players that really need to fly private in the NBA," Green said. "And he said that's Steph Curry and LeBron James."

It reinforced the idea that for players carrying the attention James and Curry draw in every city they visit, standard travel isn't really an option.

Green's rant fits a familiar pattern for him. He has publicly shielded James from criticism he sees as overblown, even when it has nothing to do with basketball.

This time, the target wasn't James' game or his decision to leave Los Angeles for Philadelphia. It was simply the method he was using to get to the office, something Green argued shouldn't be anyone's business as long as James showed up ready to play.