Draymond Green weighed in this week on Kristaps Porziņģis’ prolonged absence from the Golden State Warriors’ lineup, but his remarks raised more than a few eyebrows, prompting backlash over his choice of words.

Green’s remarks circulated Friday, the same day Porziņģis announced that he is stepping away from basketball to prioritize his health. The Latvian big man has yet to appear in a game this season because of a health issue.

NBA Community Criticizes Draymond Green’s Remarks About Kristaps Porziņģis

Porziņģis, who won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2024, joined the Warriors in a February trade with the Atlanta Hawks. With him sidelined, Green has been starting at center.

Green addressed the situation in an interview with The Athletic’s Sam Amick.

“I don’t think anyone in here is sitting around waiting on him to walk through that door … You can’t sit and worry about spoiled milk,” the four-time NBA champion said.

Green’s comparison drew particular criticism after Porziņģis’ announcement became public.

NBA on Prime analyst Mo Mooncey wrote: “‘Spoiled milk’ is an insane phrase to use for a teammate with a career-ending illness.”

Claire de Lune, NBA reporter for The Guardian, also weighed in. “This is a pretty insane thing to say about a teammate who seemingly retired due to chronic illness.”

“Truly distasteful, and disrespectful comment from a ‘professional,’” one fan remarked.

CBS Sports sideline reporter Ashley Nicole Moss offered a shorter reaction: “This seems … harsh?”

“What is wrong with this guy?” podcaster EJ Stewart asked.

Sports editor and writer Jorge Alonso added: “Gotta be the worst teammate of all time lol.”

Green did, however, emphasize that the Warriors were not blaming Porziņģis for his absence, but were instead adopting a next-man-up mentality.

Those reactions from the NBA community, though, went a touch further than what Porziņģis himself announced. The 31-year-old has not said he is retiring, and his statement did not include a timetable for a return.

“This season I was really looking forward to running it with this group, but as I ramped up, my body didn’t respond the way I anticipated. I’m doing good, but I know what it takes, and I’m not where I want to be to perform at the level I expect from myself. At this point, I’ve made the decision to prioritize my health and step away from the game I love,” Porziņģis wrote.

The Warriors big man was previously diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, a chronic condition that affected him during his time in Boston. However, neither Porziņģis nor Golden State has identified the illness keeping him out this season.

Porziņģis remains listed on Golden State’s roster after re-signing this summer on a two-year, $40 million contract.

With him unavailable, Green has handled the starting center role, while Al Horford has served as his backup. Charles Bassey and undrafted rookie Graham Ike provide additional frontcourt depth.

Golden State entered Friday at 6-3 and seventh in the Western Conference despite playing the entire season without Porziņģis.

The former Celtics big man also indicated that he intends to work with the organization on what comes next.

“In this situation, I want to show the utmost respect for the Golden State Warriors and work with them to find a solution that makes sense,” he wrote.