VIDEO: Draymond Green Blasts NCAA When Discussing 'Fair Pay to Play' Act
By Michael Luciano
Golden State Warriors big man Draymond Green has never been one to pull punches and mince words-- including when it comes to the NCAA and their treatment of student athletes. Green, who played his college ball at Michigan State, has fervently thrown his support behind a bill signed into law in California that will allow student athletes to profit off of their names and likenesses, as well as sign endorsement deals, as he thinks it is one step closer towards a major restructuring of the "dictatorship" he thinks the NCAA is.
Green, who was one of the most vocal supporters of removing the word "owner" from the NBA lexicon due to some racially problematic connotations, had to spend four years of his life vacating any potential earnings that he could have generated at MSU due to the NCAA's archaic amateurism rules.
As difficult as this divide can seem at times, the momentum has slowly been building towards paying players at long last. This legislation, coupled with the increasing activity in the transfer portal and top-level transfer players being granted immediate eligibility, is a sign that more power is coming to student athletes.
If that trend keeps up, they'll finally be able to be paid for their work on the field of play. And Green will be out there celebrating.
The NCAA is a cartoonishly corrupt and backwards organization at times, so this bill and the swaying of public opinion against them through voices like Green's is a step in the right direction.