Controversial former NBA player offers to help Draymond Green

Metta Sandiford-Artest Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Controversial former NBA player offers assistance to Draymond Green

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 12/15/23

Draymond Green has gone so far out of pocket that even the artist formerly known as Ron Artest wants to offer him guidance.

In an interview this week with TMZ Sports, retired ex-NBA All-Star Metta Sandiford-Artest spoke out about troubled Golden State Warriors star Green. Sandiford-Artest gave his thoughts on Green amid Green’s indefinite suspension from the NBA and said that he was willing to speak with the veteran forward.

“I hope I’m able to reach out to him,” said Sandiford-Artest of Green. “I hope he’s able to reach out to me and chat a little bit. He’s a winner, I don’t want to see him tarnished … Hopefully, Draymond is OK. Hopefully, he can finish off his career strong.”

You can watch the full video below.

Sandiford-Artest, also once known as Metta World Peace, certainly had very strong parallels to Green during his own career. Just like Green, Sandiford-Artest was a brash, defense-first player who often had trouble controlling his emotions on the court. Sandiford-Artest also had several very high-profile suspensions of his own, most infamously when he was banned 86 games for his role in 2004’s notorious “Malice at the Palace” brawl and in 2012 when he was suspended seven games for elbowing James Harden in the head.

But Sandiford-Artest eventually matured some, becoming an NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and lasting 19 seasons in the league while serving as an elder statesman of sorts towards the end of his career. Green is 33 years old and in his 12th NBA season but still has yet to mature. That is concerning to both the previous generation like Sandiford-Artest and to Green’s own NBA peers.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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