Already a winner on the court with the Golden State Warriors, three-time NBA champion and three-time NBA All-Star Draymond Green will be joining TNT’s Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA team as an analyst while still suiting up as an active player in the NBA.
Green, who will appear on TNT and also contribute to other content initiatives throughout the Turner Sports and Bleacher Report portfolio, will make select appearances with Inside the NBA‘s studio team of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith throughout the season as his schedule allows.
“Draymond is an incredibly versatile talent, both on the court and in front of the camera,” said Turner Sports senior VP Tara August. “He’s a team player in every sense, while offering a distinct perspective that is highlighted by his keen basketball IQ, charismatic delivery and forthright, thoughtful opinions that include and extend beyond sports. We’re thrilled to more formally welcome him to the Turner Sports family.”
Green, who will turn 32 in March, is internally viewed as a possible replacement for 59-year-old Barkley, according to The New York Post. “Green has long been viewed as a potential heir apparent to Charles Barkley on the Inside The NBA studio show,” per The Post. “This deal will give the veteran forward a chance to see if he really likes it, and for Turner to evaluate whether he is up to the task of one day filling Barkley’s main chair. Green has been on Turner as a guest analyst in years past.”
A verbal combatant of Barkley, who was a league MVP but never won a championship, in the past, Green wasted no time in trolling his new colleague by greeting the Inside the NBA crew with Warriors title banners in the background.
A star at Michigan State who earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 2012 prior to being drafted into the NBA in the second round, Green was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and he has been honored as a member of the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team four times throughout his career.
“I’ve had an amazing experience working with Turner Sports in recent years and I’m a big believer in the way they entertain and genuinely connect with fans on all levels,” Green said on Thursday. “Today’s announcement helps to formalize our relationship and I couldn’t be prouder to officially be a part of the TNT family.”
Green has been sidelined since early January with calf soreness related to a disc issue in his lower back. He is set to be re-evaluated Sunday.
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