Draymond Green didn’t grow up in Oakland, California. He actually grew up almost 2,500 miles away in Saginaw, Michigan. He also didn’t grow up an Oakland Raiders fan. He seems to be a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But that didn’t stop the Warriors star from sounding off on the Raiders for making the decision to leave Oakland in the coming years for Las Vegas.
After the Warriors beat the Rockets 113-106 on Tuesday night, Green was asked for his opinion on the Raiders’ relocation plan. And he responded by ripping the NFL franchise for deciding to pick up and leave their loyal fan base behind. He referred to the move as "ridiculous" and said that he won’t attend any Raiders games in Oakland between now and the time the team leaves.
"I feel bad for the city of Oakland, man," he said. "I don’t even know how that’s going to work, honestly, with a football team moving to Las Vegas. I feel bad for the city. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t attend a game for the next three years, but that’s just me. That’s ridiculous. No way I would pay my way to attend a game."
Green also said he feels like the Raiders are one of the few NFL teams that shouldn’t be allowed to move under any circumstances.
"That’s like moving the Dallas Cowboys or like moving the Packers. Like, moving the Raiders?" he said. "You can move a lot of teams. Ain’t many fan bases like the Raiders’ fan base. It’s like moving the Boston Celtics from Boston or the Lakers from L.A. Like, you just don’t move certain franchises with the fan base that they have. It’s one thing if you’re moving from Oakland to Fremont or something, but to Las Vegas? I wouldn’t attend a game. I won’t attend a game, and I’m not a diehard Raiders fan, but I do support the city of Oakland. I feel like all fans should feel that way. You just don’t do that."
The Raiders aren’t scheduled to move to Las Vegas until about 2020 when a $1.9 billion dome that will serve as their new home is finished being built. Until then, they will continue to call Oakland home. But it doesn’t sound like Green—who said he has been to about "eight or nine" Raiders home games since joining the Warriors in 2012—is going to head to Oakland Coliseum to see them play anytime soon. And there will probably be many other people in the city of Oakland who follow his lead.
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