Draymond Green was ripped by some fans for smiling in a photo with a fan after the Warriors lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday by 30 points. Some felt that Green being jovial and taking a photo meant he wasn’t taking the Warriors’ 120-90 loss to Cleveland hard enough.
Take this for instance:
Someone wasn’t too concerned with that 30-point loss #FanLovehttps://t.co/BlktY6VV0P
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 9, 2016
Though it seemed odd to see one of Golden State’s team leaders smiling after such a beatdown — especially after delivering such a powerful message earlier in the game — we reserved judgement. Perhaps the woman was a friend Green hadn’t seen in a long time, we thought. Well, it turns out that was exactly the case.
The woman in the photo is Ari Washington, a PR rep who knew Draymond from college at Michigan State.
@dgaulmanshow oh well. I was working in MSU basketball office when he was a freshman. That's fam!
— Ari Nicole (@arinicolelife) June 9, 2016
She said the two hadn’t seen each other for years.
@alexiskmorgan @BleacherReport thank you! I actually worked for Msu basketball when he was in college. Hadn't seen each other since then
— Ari Nicole (@arinicolelife) June 9, 2016
The photo turned out really nice:
Spartans for life @Money23Green pic.twitter.com/fHrTcXJul3
— Ari Nicole (@arinicolelife) June 9, 2016
The irony here is that while many thought taking a photo with a fan showed Green’s lack of heart, it really shows us that despite a tough loss, he can put his anger/frustration aside to be nice to a friend. Now that is the mark of good character.
