When Chris Haynes first started covering the Golden State Warriors, he had difficulty earning the trust of the team’s championship core. Haynes had previously covered the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers, who had developed a rivalry with Golden State.
Haynes detailed his first interaction with Draymond Green when speaking to Sam Okauru via his YouTube channel, noting how the four-time NBA champion was vocal about his distrust. Haynes also shared that Green accused him of being a spy for LeBron, such had been the battles between the two teams over the previous few years.
“I go to the locker room for the first time in the Warriors,” Haynes said. “Draymond was like, ‘I don’t trust you, bro.’ I thought he was playing. He’s like, ‘I don’t trust you, bro.’ I’m like, ‘you mean don’t trust me?’ He said ‘you’re a Cavs spy. LeBron sent you over here to spy on us. We ain’t messing with y’all, and I’m gonna make sure nobody talk with you.’ He was dead serious, bro. Damn. He was dead serious. I couldn’t believe him, like Dray. I’m just a reporter, bro.”
Over time, Haynes has since built relationships with the Warriors’ star core. Haynes covered the Warriors for two years before leaving ESPN and teaming up with Bleacher Report.
However, it would appear that his first day on the beat has stuck with him, thus proving that team rivalries do extend beyond the players, with the media also being associated with the teams they cover.
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