Why Draymond earned Ice Cube’s respect as NBA enforcer

Ice Cube, who is one of the greatest rappers of all time and a devoted Los Angeles Lakers fan, has plenty of respect for the Warriors and franchise pillar Draymond Green.

Appearing on the latest episode of “Dubs Talk,” Ice Cube was asked by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole what he thought about Green and his game.

“It doesn’t matter, you know?” Ice Cube said, holding up four fingers to signify Green’s four NBA championships.

“At the end of the day, he has helped this organization get four [titles]. Four, not one, not two, not three but four, so you’ve got to respect his game. Whatever he gives to the Warriors, it has helped them become a great organization and he’s just as much a part of that as Steph [Curry] or Klay [Thompson] or anybody.”

Green has become a polarizing figure during his NBA career due to his physical style of play, which has earned him a legion of devotees as well as detractors. Clearly, a basketball fanatic like Ice Cube respects the impact Green has had on the Warriors franchise, with the team developing into one of the league’s all-time great dynasties during his tenure with Golden State.

While Green has led Golden State to incredible success, he has drawn the ire of fans and officials alike for his on-court demeanor, which has landed him numerous suspensions during his career. The most recent incident was Green striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face during a game on Dec. 12, leading to an indefinite suspension by the NBA.

Ice Cube was in the Bay Area to promote his Big3 basketball league, which had a tournament at Oakland Arena on June 15. The Big3 league is a 3-on-3 basketball league founded by the legendary rapper in 2017 and features plenty of former NBA players such as ex-Warrior Leandro Barbosa and former All-Star Paul Millsap.

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