Staff Reporter Du Yijun / Combined Report

　　The Golden State Warriors opened their preseason with a 101-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, but the nationwide postgame buzz wasn't about the score—it was about Warriors enforcer Draymond Green's noticeably deteriorated physique. A video of Green being interviewed has gone viral on social media, with his flabby frame drawing heavy backlash from Bay Area fans. Some scathing online comments even said Green's current body shape is essentially no different from Nuggets MVP Nikola Jokic.

　　As the indispensable defensive anchor for the Warriors, Green is set to earn nearly $28 million (approximately NT$900 million) this season, but the condition he showed upon reporting to training camp has clearly disappointed supporters. Many fans have been circulating images of his "decayed" physique online, mocking it as a textbook "dad bod."

　　Facing criticism that a player earning such a high salary has failed to maintain a professional athlete's standard, netizens left harsh comments: "Paying a professional athlete over $27 million and he doesn't bother to stay in shape—it's absolutely insane." Another fan fumed, "For a world-class athlete earning nearly $30 million, this body is completely unacceptable. You were never the most gifted player, and now you're older and messing around like this—you have no margin for error."

　　Some aggressive fans even attributed Green's lackadaisical attitude to the Warriors' failure to recruit LeBron James in the offseason: "Ever since LeBron decided to stay with the Lakers, Green just seems to not care anymore."

　　Despite the physique controversy, the 36-year-old Green remains the soul of head coach Steve Kerr's system. However, his offensive role will undergo a major shift this season. Kerr has explicitly asked Green to increase his three-point attempts and hand over some playmaking duties to younger players like Brandin Podziemski.

　　In the first preseason game, Green started alongside Stephen Curry, Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Al Horford. When asked about surrendering offensive control, Green admitted, "I definitely feel it. Whether I like it or not, it's going to happen. So I'm not going to dwell on whether I like it—it is what it is."

　　Facing scrutiny over his physique and a transition in his offensive role, the four-time champion veteran's ability to regain his old form before the regular season begins will be one of the most closely watched storylines for the Warriors this season.