There’s nothing Draymond Green can say or do to make Nick Wright accept his latest claim.
The FOX Sports analyst shredded the Golden State Warriors forward’s assertion that he’s the greatest defensive player in NBA history Tuesday on “First Things First.” Although Green’s resume includes six appearances on NBA All-Defensive teams, three NBA Finals wins and the Defensive Player of the Year award for 2016-17, but pales in comparison to Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon. The facts Wright lays out make a compelling case for Olajuwon over Green.
“Listen, Draymond is one of the greatest defenders in NBA history,” Wright said. “I believe he should have won three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year Awards, I’m on the record from that from a year ago. With that said, stop it.
“… The two greatest defenders in modern NBA history are: No. 2, the somehow wildly underrated Tim Duncan; and No. 1 with a bullet, unquestionably the greatest defensive player of the last 50 years in the NBA, Hakeem ‘The Dream’ Olajuwon.
“Hakeem’s blocks record will never be broken. Ever. He has 3,800 blocks. The next closest is 3,200. If you added up Ben Wallace’s blocks and Dwight Howard’s blocks, you’d barely pass Hakeem’s blocks. Steals, he’s 10th all time, as a center. There’s not another center in the top-60. Hakeem Olajuwon is the greatest defender of all time, and I’m not asking you to pull out the old file-a-film to watch tapes of him. You guys’ careers damn near overlapped. So I respect you, Draymond, but simmer down a bit … .”
In addition to being a two-time NBA Finals MVP, Olajuwon was a 12-time NBA All-Star, nine-time All-Defensive selection and 1993-94 MVP.
Green is a leader of the greatest teams in NBA history and a heck of a player in his own right. He might be an even-better trash-talker, whose words the Wrights of the world would be wise to take with a grain of salt.
