Draymond Green says he has been called the “N-word” by angry fans in NBA arenas.
Green, responding to the story of an Orioles outfielder being showered with racist epithets at Fenway Park in Boston, says players lack proper protection.
.@Warriors' Draymond @Money23Green: 'I've gotten the N-word, all of that'
He says players need more protection.https://t.co/kb0eDxhf8n— The Undefeated (@TheUndefeated) May 3, 2017
Green and Warriors teammate Stephen Curry are members of an advisory board for the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), a nonprofit organization using sports to improve race relations by driving social progress and understanding.
Per ESPN:
“I’ve gotten the N-word, all of that. I’d rather not get into [where]. A few places, especially being that it is me. Athletes are just not protected in that regard. Maybe something like [the Adam Jones incident] will help,” Green told The Undefeated on Tuesday night before the Warriors’ 106-94 win over the Utah Jazz in the opener of their life second-round playoff series.
Jones, the Baltimore Orioles’ center fielder, was called the N-word and had a bag of peanuts tossed at him during Monday night’s game against the host Boston Red Sox.
“Cheer for your team. Do what you want. But if I’m playing in the game and you’re cheering for your team, it doesn’t give you the right to say whatever you want to say to me,” Green said. “This is my job, and I can’t go to your job and say whatever I want to you. If I went to someone else’s job and said whatever I wanted to say, I’d get arrested for harassment. It’s a fine line. I don’t think any league does a great job of making sure that athletes are protected.
“The fans are great, but at times I think the leagues empower hecklers to say whatever they want to us. We are in a position where if you naturally react, you’re screwed, you’re losing money. But there are great fans out there, and all fans shouldn’t be put in that category.”
