Draymond Green wasn’t laughing along with some sports media stars — Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Stephen A. Smith — while discussing Anthony Davis’ head injury.
On the latest podcast episode of “The Draymond Green Show”, the Warriors forward didn’t seem happy with those making jokes about Davis — who sustained the head injury in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals series.
The Warriors won the game, 121-106, to cut the Lakers’ series lead to 3-2.
“Just don’t play with those head injuries, man. They are serious,” Green said during the Friday episode, while also reflecting on banging his head off the court while getting tangled up with Lakers star LeBron James in Game 4 of the series.
“I saw a lot of people laughing and talking … but it’s a hit to the head and one small hit to the head can change everything in your life, so I don’t really understand the joke.
“I don’t understand it at all.”
Although Green did not name names, two days prior, O’Neal and Barkley were laughing hysterically while the “Inside the NBA” crew discussed Davis exiting the court in a wheelchair after being inadvertently hit near the temple by Warriors center Kevon Looney’s arm.
“Every time you step out on the basketball court, the football field, the ice, on the pitch, you’re risking your life, because one injury can change everything,” Green said.
“… I don’t quite understand the laughing and why it’s so funny that a guy gets hit in the head. The smallest hit to the wrong part of the head can change your life. But I don’t really understand that.”
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During the Wednesday installment of TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” O’Neal and Barkley couldn’t contain their laughter about the situation.
However, they maintained that they were laughing at each other, and did not crack jokes about Davis.
Stephen A. Smith, however, went berserk about Davis on ESPN’s “First Take.”
The ESPN personality made light of the situation and expressed disbelief that Davis could have potentially sustained a concussion — adding, “I thought the NFL season was over.”
Smith later apologized on Twitter, writing: “Blow back is Blow back. Comes with the territory, peeps. I was in no way minimizing the seriousness of a concussion.
“I was questioning whether Anthony Davis really had one, considering the play I saw & other hits I’ve seen him absorb. But, bottom line, it was wrong for me to do. Period! My bad.”
Davis exited in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Warriors with a head injury and did not return.
The eight-time All-Star was reportedly stumbling and feeling woozy after taking an elbow to the head, and was wheel-chaired off to a back room at Chase Center for further evaluation.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham told reporters on Thursday that Davis is not in concussion protocol and is probable for Game 6 of the second-round NBA playoff series on Friday.
That came after ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that Davis could have potentially missed Games 6 and 7 if he failed the NBA’s concussion protocol testing.
Davis finished Game 5 with 23 points on 10-for-18 shooting, with nine rebounds and three assists prior to the injury.
The Lakers have a chance to close out the series and advance to the Western Conference Finals at home in Game 6 on Friday.
