Draymond Green is headed back to the broadcast desk. The Golden State Warriors forward will make three upcoming appearances on Inside the NBA on ESPN, filling in for Kenny Smith starting Wednesday.
What We Know: Green has been a fixture in sports media beyond the court. His highly popular Draymond Green Show established him as a credible media voice early. Furthermore, he first joined Inside the NBA as a playoff guest analyst back in 2021. Since then, he secured a formal multiyear deal with TNT in 2022 for regular-season appearances. He also worked the NBA All-Star Game alt-cast in 2023 and covered the 2024 Western Conference Finals between the Mavericks and Timberwolves.
What’s At Stake: As ESPN continues to push towards the conclusion of the NBA postseason, the network has always added to their coverage roster this time of year. In year’s previous, ESPN has brought in talents such as Chris Webber, and Bob Myers among others.
What Remains Unclear: It’s still unknown whether Green’s postseason role could grow into something more permanent on ESPN. Additionally, no specific dates beyond Wednesday have been confirmed for his conference finals appearances. His long-term media trajectory — balancing an active NBA career alongside a growing broadcast presence — remains an open question worth watching.
What It Means: Green has been building a serious media brand in real time. Consequently, networks have been taking notice for some time. The addition to Inside the NBA gives the show a boost in an otherwise forgettable first year with ESPN. The show’s stature among basketball fans has lost some luster from its TNT Sports days. It will be interesting to see if Green’s presence serves as an audition for a longer-term role with ESPN. The network is also rumored to be pursuing Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Green’s coach, for a studio role next season.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.