SAN FRANCISCO -- Warriors forward Draymond Green has been among a number of athletes behind a bill in California that allows college athletes to make money on their likeness.
Now, with California Gov. Gavin Newson signing the bill into law, Green and his teammates applauded the move during Warriors Media Day on Monday afternoon.
"Someone needs to force this dictatorship to change because that's exactly what it is," Green said. "It's no different than any country that's ran by dictators. The NCAA is a dictatorship."
The bill, which Newsom signed into law on an episode of "The Shop" with Lakers star LeBron James, makes it illegal for schools or the NCAA to prohibit athletes from selling rights to their name, image or likeness. The new law, which goes into effect in 2023, also allows athletes to hire an agent to represent them.
Supporters of the law say it is the most significant legislation targeted against the NCAA. Under current bylaws, student-athletes cannot earn compensation from their likeness, much to Green's dismay.
"You spend so much time in college broke, with no money, and yet everybody else was living very well," Green said. "The university is making a ton of money off your likeness."
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"It does not make any sense," Green added. "I can make all the money off your likeness, and the moment you decide to make some money off your likeness, you can't play here anymore. You're ineligible. You're suspended. It's backwards."
Warriors guard Steph Curry, who played three years at Davidson College in North Carolina, also showed support towards the bill.
"Anything that kind of speaks to creating opportunities for athletes to take advantage of what they put into their craft and you know how much money the NCAA is making is obviously -- somebody to base going on of whether it's good or bad," Curry said. "Actually I love player-friendly things that put people in positions to be successful and to get what they're owed and deserved."
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Warriors rookie Jordan Poole was in favor of the bill as well, and felt he could've taken advantage of it if it was in place during his college career.
"I know for sure I would have been using my name after that Houston shot, so I feel like that would have been something I would have been able to do," Poole said, referring to his iconic game-winning 3-pointer in the NCAA tournament in 2018.
"But I feel like it's a huge step in the right direction. I feel like it's a lot of money that college players make, and going to the organizations and the schools and universities. Being able just to have that pass in the state of California is just huge for the game."
