In a segment of the Pat McAfee Show, Draymond Green and the host (referred to as SPEAKER A) engage in a wide‑ranging conversation about how basketball eras should be respected. Green argues that older generations often fail to respect the modern era, citing recent comments from Oscar Robertson that dismissed his impact. The hosts critique how media narratives compress history into champion‑centric storylines, overlooking many talented players who never won titles. They debate whether respect should be automatically granted to predecessors or earned through performance. The discussion then shifts to LeBron James’s claim that Giannis Antetokounmpo would dominate a 1970s NBA, prompting a back‑and‑forth about contextual differences such as shoe technology, training resources, salaries, and cultural adjustments for a Greek player in the 1970s. The dialogue is informal, with frequent interruptions, humor, and references to other NBA figures (Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal). Throughout, Green emphasizes that respect is earned, not given by virtue of era, and highlights generational tensions amplified by media framing.
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There's constant conversation about LeBron on the Pat McAfee Show, and you know, you must respect each era, right? That's the whole thing. They saying you gotta respect each era. We know LeBron is big media. My question to you is, what other era would you have enjoyed playing in?
You know what's crazy is people say you must respect each era, but the past eras don't respect this era.
I don't think that's true.
Shit me. You don't see some of the things these guys say?
Man, I think it— I think really at the baseline of it all, and here's my problem with the whole ecosystem, we don't do a good enough job of telling everybody's story. And so the errors don't really get the appreciation because the media encapsulate the error into like,— one team, two teams, three teams, a storyline. When you look at Michael, like, and here's the thing, you look at Michael Jordan, you look at LeBron James, there's so many dope players that played in the era of Michael Jordan that didn't win a championship. There's a lot of dope players that you guys played against and had to go through, through the playoffs that don't get mentioned. Only the Warriors get mentioned, you know, and And rightfully so, champions get mentioned. And so I think the respect from the old is really, do the young dudes fuck with us? Do they know who we are? Because I think for our era, it was more so how can we be throwback and nostalgic? And so that's why you get a lot of hate from the older generation because they just wanna be kept alive 'cause they alive, right? Why shouldn't they story be a part of this whole melting pot and it's not just, we talking about the same shit. Or if we're comparing players, like, let's see somebody highlights, let's see somebody stats, let's have them talk about the players that they played against. Because one era always think that the other era is sorry until you leave the game and have an appreciation for the talent that you had to play against each and every night.
I agree with what you're saying to a certain extent, but I disagree in the fact that no, like these eras don't respect us. Like I've seen several guys talk over and over and over again, not in a positive light. Just a month and a half ago, Oscar Robertson said I do nothing on the basketball court. Yet I got a chance to put on the same jacket he put on. But he said unprompted, like I didn't say anything about Oscar Robertson. I didn't say anything about players from his generation. I actually said something about players from our generation. And he then took it upon himself to completely try to lessen who I am.
He may not like your game.
And you don't have to like my game, but to say I do nothing on the basketball court, like, that's either disrespectful or dumb. Like, it's one of the two. Like, you're either being disrespectful or you're not smart. So you pick. And I'm gonna say it's disrespect because I'd like to believe he's smart. And so, Yeah, I don't think that respect is passed down to us from the other generations, but I think people are quick to say, oh, you gotta respect them because they came before. Nah, I don't agree with that. I disagree with that. Here's another thing though, BD.
You absolutely have to. I'm not, my mama ain't raised me that way. Absolutely respect the people who came before you.
My respect is earned. And what you did to somebody else don't necessarily earn you respect, me.
No, I'm not saying from like, I'm just saying like, you know, from a player perspective, a power forward before Draymond Green was a Draymond Green type of power forward.
Mm-hmm.
Right? And even though you are a one of one, like there is a Klaw or a Shaq or someone that you highly respect. That's why we respect where we come from and how we got there. Because if it wasn't, it don't have to be all the dudes, like, 'cause I still be beefing with people. I still don't like people. I still think people are sorry, but that's my personal opinion.
Absolutely.
Right? That's my personal opinion. But I do have respect somewhat.
Exactly. We starting to get real now. You just can't tell me everybody deserve respect.
That's not a fact.
There are, Everybody don't deserve respect. Just because you played before me, you don't deserve respect.
There are a lot of people in the club and can't everybody dance.
Facts, BD. Just because you played before me does not mean you deserve respect. I'm sorry, but God had in his plan for you to be born before me and you just deserve respect because of that? Nah, my mom ain't raised me that way. Respect is earned. Obviously this conversation is stemming from Bron saying, that Giannis will have 250 points in the '70s. But here's my thing though, BD. The problem I have with it is this. Everybody attacked the statement, which attacked the statement.
I don't think that he would though. I think Giannis will have like 17 points in the '70s.
I, I think you tripping.
All right, can I tell you this? Can I give you this scenario?
Yeah, sure.
A dude from Greece, right? Mm-hmm. Comes to the United States in the '70s to play in the NBA where you don't make a lot of money, times is hard, you don't have a trainer, you got Converse, right?
You got Converse.
And you may or may not have to have some type of side job because the league ain't really paying you enough to go back to Greece and take care of your family. Now, who's gonna help you back then acclimate to United States and the NBA. Now take all those factors with the Converse or whatever they was, the flats.
Hey, you gonna stop with Converse. That's my family now. No, we kill the Converse.
I love Converse. No, bro, I rock Converse. I'm just saying I rock Converse.
You said you wear, of course you rock Chucks.
Yeah, of course I rock Chuck Taylors. But what I'm saying is playing in Chuck Taylors, that was the luxury shoe.
No, you right.
Could you play in Chuck Taylors? No.
Yeah, I can't, I can't play in a lot of shoes though.
So you can't play in, so you can't play in the '70s, bro?
All right, now. Hey, time out. Time out.
Now, player from the '70s, right? If he was Encino, man, and you transported him now into the NBA and he came out the ice with his Chuck Taylors on, his, his high shorts, afro, and He's 6'9", 45-inch bird, can only dribble with his right hand, but block everything, dunk everything, and shoot bank shots.
Listen.
Now he got the trainer.
Let me know when you done, Charles Barkley.
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Goddamn, Chuck. We talk about media members. You see what you've done to this generation of media members, Chuck?
My fault, my fault, my fault.
He won't even let me talk. Shaq, I feel your pain. This man won't even let me get a word out. You know why he won't let me get a word out?
Go ahead.
Because in order, In order for him to go against Bron's claim that Giannis would average 250 points, he had to make it about it being no FaceTimes in the '70s, no good shoes in the '70s, no good jobs in the '70s. He had to make it about that as opposed to just making it strictly basketball, which is the statement that was being made.
The skills ain't gonna translate.
My point that I was actually going to make to you, Charles, is that Why do— when people talk about basketball and Bron say something like he said, people get all up in arms as if 55 years of basketball play did not change the skill level, did not change the fitness level, did not change the understanding of the game, did not change the nuances, did not change the offenses run, did not change how the defenses run. 55 years, within those last 55 years, all of those things have changed. Nobody said, hey, if you take Giannis, put him back in the '70s, but you have to now make him a '70s basketball player. That wasn't the point. The point was, if you take Giannis Antetokounmpo, who he is today, and he played in the '70s, he'd have 250 points. And so that's the problem that I have. Is Google got better with time. Facebook, MySpace went away. Facebook became this conglomerate because they saw MySpace mistakes. It's like, we're gonna add this, we're gonna do that. So everything gets better with time. But for some reason, for some reason, Come on. When we're talking basketball, it don't get better with time and everything should be, everything's equal to what it was before. And that's just not the case. And so, You look at where players are today, it's no disrespect to players of the '70s, but everything has changed. Everything. We don't play the same game of basketball that they played in the '70s. There was no 3-point line. There was no defensive 3-second. We don't play the same game of basketball that they played. So now you take these skill sets of today and put them in that era. I'm sorry, it's gonna be hard for them players in the '70s. Draymond Green.
