"This is like the Joel Embiid MVP, bro is BEGGING" - NBA fans clown Draymond Green for pushing DPOY case on live TV
Draymond Green has played 13 seasons in the league, and as he enters the tail end of his career, his chances of getting back to his peak form continue to get slimmer. It has, in fact, been eight years since Green won Defensive Player of the Year, and he has faced some stiff competition for the award since then.
On Thursday, Green decided to shoot his shot when he went on ESPN's "NBA Today." On national TV, the four-time NBA champion tried to make a case for himself as this year's DPOY, given that the former frontrunner Victor Wembanyama had an abrupt end to his season:
"I think this is the last best chance I have. I think I put together a good case," Green told host Malika Andrews. "I got another six or seven games to continue to make that case, but whatever happens, I think I should win it."
Though Green had a smile on his face while saying these words, some fans were not quite pleased with what he said:
"This is like the Joel embiid Mvp, bro is BEGGING," one fan tweeted.
"Begging on live tv for an award is crazy work," another fan tweeted.
"bro is manifesting his own success live on ESPN," another fan observed.
More fans piled on Draymond's DPOY plea.
"If you think Draymond deserves DPOY you're either not watching the games or you're letting his media blitz fool you,"another fan stated.
"oh shut up man my God. it is so clear what he's attempting to do here," one netizen said.
"He ain’t gonna he’s 🍑," another netizen pointed out.
Ultimately, what matters most is the opinion of the journalists who will be casting their vote for DPOY. Whether they were swayed by Green's words on ESPN is still up in the air.
Draymond Green wins award for exemplary defense in month of March
For what it's worth, Green was able to bolster his case for DPOY when he was named Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month of March:
Green won the award after helping the Warriors to an 11-4 record in March.
This is the first time that Green has been bestowed this honor in the 2024-25 season. Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, Evan Mobley and Dyson Daniels have each won Defensive Player of the Month two times.