Unlike Draymond Green, NBA Veteran’s “Aggressiveness” Was Drained by Refs Leaving Him Unable to Fight

For Sebastian Telfair, his off-court life overshadowed his on-court talent. But those who know, know that he could make a game foul-heavy, be a tenacious guard to get rid of, and record a few steals or two. That sounds like someone else right now. Draymond Green can make a game rather eventful too. That’s why when Bassy returned to DJ Vlad, he was asked about his take on Dray in general.

For starters, Telfair showed he only kept up with the DrayMagic show superficially. When Green’s recent episode with Paul George came up, Telfair abruptly declared, “And that’s why I wasn’t the s**t in the league.” That’s a rather humble take. Yes, Bassy didn’t get the Hall of Fame greatness he was projected for but he was the highlight of a game.

However, he claims he played tame after his off-court drama sort of put a target on his back. “The refs in the NBA took the aggressiveness out of me,” he claims because of his history. “So I couldn’t really do what Draymond doing that would have been out the league.” 

He believes none of the pros, including himself, stepped on the court to play nice. They’re all down for some aggressive play if it comes down to it. He however was scared he would suffer a more severe punishment than the three-game suspension he once went through for violating NBA rules. In comparison, he thinks Green is freer and making the most of it.

Sebastian Telfair is envious of Draymond Green

The NBA cracked the whip on Green twice this season for flagrant fouls. He served two suspensions and remained at the top of his game but his absence may have cost the team as the Warriors are now out of post-season contention. Bassy can relate a bit.

One of his most serious on-court incidents was in 2014, when he was playing for OKC. The Thunder guard was ejected from a game against Toronto for a flagrant 2 foul. Something similar to what went down between Green and Jusuf Nurkic, Telfair hit Tyler Hansbrough in the face during the last two minutes of the game. He left the court with 11 points, 2 assists and two steals in 27 minutes while his team lost 100-87. This was between two of his legal episodes and perhaps proves his point that he couldn’t be on the wrong side of officiants.

In contrast, “Draymond is so free,” he says that irrespective of suspensions, fines, wins and money, “he’s up there fighting for what he need to fight for.” Telfair sounds a little envious that Green gets to express his emotions and would rather be able to show that during his career than being cautious.

This expressive, aggressive Draymond Green is what Bassy says makes him a good player and he enjoys when Dray’s confidence is at its peak. Which would you prefer – an expressive Dray or subdued the way Bassy was?