Draymond Green and Tom Izzo discuss how NIL money and the transfer portal are reshaping college basketball. Over 450 players entered the portal this year, many losing credits and graduation progress through frequent transfers. Both want structured stipends and NCAA reforms to protect athletes while preserving education.
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What's up everybody? It's Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward. There's been a big change in college sports. Athletes are now being paid for their likeness. I, being someone who was really pushing for that, I still don't think it's what it should be. Like, okay, we're allowing people to make money off their likeness now. I think it's still time to pay the athletes. You're providing a service, you're bringing millions of dollars into these places and then the NCAA, they just grab it. And I wanna know how have you had to adjust as a coach? Like these guys are making real money now. Like I was talking to Travis yesterday, I walked in and I was just standing there looking at AJ. I said, Trav, This dude got money now. Like I saw AJ took a vacation to Jamaica. That's incredible. Like how have you had to change some of the, some of the ways that you coach now? Because when you add into money, that's a different thing. When you give someone money, it changes things. How have you seen things change in the profession?
Well, first of all, let me say this. I do agree with you. I wish they would've come up with some kind of stipend, some kind of better thing. I'm all in favor of the name, image, and likeness. So if you're worth something that you can do, to pay a player without contracts, without the ability that, I mean, you can't be a free agent every year.
Absolutely not.
These guys are free agents every semester. And so that creates some problems. So what I call it is this, and someday me and you are gonna sit down off the air, and then we'll go back on the air, but, and just talk about it, you know, what are the unintended consequences of these things?
Yes.
This year there were over 450 college basketball players that put their name in the portal and don't have a place to go. 400 of those are probably African American kids now who are not gonna get an education. So there are more things to this whole thing. Can we do a better job taking care of the players? 100%. Can we figure out ways that, like, my thing, a coach leaves, okay, this and that, but, but to be a free agent every year, if they were paying them, then there should be contracts. And contracts mean you don't get to leave every year.
Absolutely.
So there's got to be some work done on this, Draymond Green. And maybe guys like you have a platform, but I think if you saw both sides, I just worry about Are we really helping educate these kids? 4 years, we've had guys go to 4 different schools now. They're not graduating. You can't do that. I mean, you know, when you transfer from one school to the other, a lot of credits don't transfer.
Yeah, curriculum changes.
Changes.
Yeah.
And then, you know, I'm gonna hit you with this one because I really believe it. You have the most unique team in basketball, and I think you're a big reason. I remember the Kevin Durant thing. I remember you, almost recruiting them. I know what you did, but Steph, Klay, Draymond, Iggy, even Looney now, Steve, Bob, you're talking 7, 8 to 10, 12 years. Where does that happen?
It doesn't. It doesn't.
Well, think about college and this reunion you're at this weekend. Where would most of those kids go? I brought back Corey Lucious, who left after 2 years. You helped me during his troubled times, and he didn't listen to us, and he'd be the first to tell you. But he's back because I brought him back. How many coaches are going to be there long enough? So where are these guys going to go when they leave and have 3 different schools? There's unintended consequences. And I think me and you would be great to sit down and talk, and you'd be great to talk to the NCAA. There's so many things we got to do a better job with. Mm-hmm. But let's make sure that we understand that these kids are losing out too. Absolutely. You know, you, after your freshman year, now you might have said goodbye. Gone for sure. And you turned out okay. Absolutely. And you did a lot for this university. And this university does some things for you, but you did a lot for this place. And you got to admit, giving makes you feel good.
100%.
That's why I do. So I just worry about where it's headed. And that's something that maybe, maybe that'd be you and I. That'd be a good thing for you and I to, because I'm got enough power in the, not that we have any power as coaches, you have as a player. Maybe we can get the two sides together and really do what you and Mo talked about, helping other kids get to where they want to go. Yeah. The right way.
100%. I love and appreciate that answer because I think when speaking of the transfer program, I worry about that and I don't worry about it because I do think, I do think, you know, there are situations where kids should be able to transfer. You have the hardship thing that you just have. If a coach leaves, I think kids should be able to transfer.
I'm for that too.
But the portal thing is a little tricky because like you said, when you can throw your name in there every year. I talked about it in my press conference yesterday before the Hall of Fame ceremony. We won a game at Ohio State my freshman year. It's a big deal. They were really good. We were going on a roll. We were destroying everybody that year. We won the most games in the road games in the Big Ten. We won the Big Ten by the largest margin in Big Ten history that year. I'm not sure if that still stands, but it was at that time. And I got on a bus after that game. I didn't play. I'm pissed off at you about that 'cause I just heard something last night that said I'm tied for the most games played. And if you played me that game, I'd be ahead. So, but I didn't play. I love it. I didn't play that game. And I called my mom crying. And I said, "Ma, I gotta get the fuck outta here." I didn't say that because my mom would slap me. I said, "Ma, I gotta get outta here." And she told me, "Yeah, what's going on?" It's like, I didn't play. Like, what do you mean what's going on? We just had a game, I didn't play. She's like, "Oh, okay. So how you feel?" "Ma, I didn't play." Like, "Okay." I need to get outta here. She said, "Well, you made your bed, you gotta lay in it." Click. Whoa.
Yeah, but that doesn't happen anymore, Draymond.
And that, but I, when I think about that, I think about how different my life would be if I did leave right then. Like all the things that's happened for me in my life, how great you've been in my life, how great this university has been in my life. I still think this is, the best decision I ever made in my life was to come here because it set me up for the rest of my life. I met my wife here and I think about if I had transferred, how that would have turned out for me. It wouldn't have turned out the same. So I do worry about that portal a little bit for sure.
Yeah. And then the portal turns into they just, free agent it and look for the best deals. And you know what? When you're 18, 19, the best deals— I mean, you got to get nurtured yet. You're a grown man now. You've made decisions. You can make decisions. At 18, I made bad decisions. You made bad decisions. I mean, we all made bad decisions.
Absolutely.
And that's why you either got to have great parents or parents hand their kids off to the coach.— if you've had 3 or 4 different coaches, and I agree with you, by the way, 100%. If the coach leaves, the players should be able to leave and be eligible immediately. But I think of how many guys were unhappy as freshmen. Hell, I was a Division II player, was unhappy as a freshman. Because you all scored a bunch of points. That's why you got recruited by schools. And almost nobody does that in college. You ain't gonna average 22 points a game in college.
Absolutely not.
Nobody does that. So, they're all unhappy. And now you got more people pecking on 'em to leave and this and that. It's really hard on the kids. I think Mel told me, I think there's like 800 football players don't have a home. And that doesn't include the people, Dray, that put their name in the portal. They don't even have to talk to the coach anymore. And then they end up going to a school that's less than the one they thought they'd go to 'cause nobody was really recruiting 'em, you know?
Mm-hmm.
Or they go to a school And then don't play hardly at all. And they were playing 35 minutes a game at the other. You know, I just worry about it. I mean, I'm gonna stick with this. I'm gonna try to stay out of the portal. It's gonna probably get me. 'Cause I'm gonna believe in the guys that I recruit.
Absolutely.
And I'm gonna be homegrown and I'm gonna stick with them. And you know what? You weren't a star when you got to the Warriors.
Nope.
Some people stuck with you and They're damn happy they did. And whenever you have one of your bad times and they call, it always ends up with, "Yeah, but boy, we wouldn't win without 'em."
