Fabricated Draymond Green Tweet Targeting Angel Reese Debunked as Misinformation
A viral post appearing to show the NBA star making a dismissive comment toward the WNBA rookie was confirmed to be from an impersonator account.
A fake tweet attributed to Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, which responded to a fabricated quote from WNBA star Angel Reese regarding pay equity, has been identified as misinformation. The incident highlights the challenges of verifying information on social media platforms amid ongoing discussions about compensation for female athletes.
Details of the Fabricated Exchange
The controversy began when an image of a post from the X account “HoopMixOnly” circulated online. The image showed a user with the screen name “money23green,” impersonating Green, replying to a supposed statement from Reese about wanting NBA-level pay. The fabricated response from the fake Green account was a concise six-word retort: “Do a 360 windmill dunk first.”
However, further examination revealed that neither the comment from the Green impersonator nor the initial quote from Reese was authentic. The entire exchange was a work of digital fiction designed to provoke a reaction.
Identifying the Impersonator
Several key details confirmed that the account was not operated by the four-time NBA champion. The official, verified X handle for Draymond Green is “@Money23Green,” with capital letters “M” and “G.” The impersonating account used an all-lowercase screen name, “money23green,” which served as its display name rather than its official handle.
Additionally, the profile pictures on the two accounts were completely different. While the fake account also featured a blue verification checkmark, this is no longer a reliable indicator of authenticity, as users can purchase verification status on the platform.
The incident serves as a reminder of the prevalence of misinformation online, where fabricated quotes and impersonator accounts can quickly spread and fuel public discourse before being properly vetted.
