In light of the acts of bigotry against Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones at Fenway Park, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green chimed in with some of his thoughts regarding racial abuse around professional arenas.

“I’ve gotten the N-word, all of that. I’d rather not get into [where],” Green told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated prior to Game 1 of the series against the Utah Jazz. “A few places, especially being that it is me. Athletes are just not protected in that regard. Maybe something like [the Adam Jones incident] will help.”

While the NBA is one of the most racially diverse sports in the United States, there is still vestiges of racism, sexism, and outright ignorance which eventually shows its ugly head every now and then — most noticeably in recent memory during the Donald Sterling saga.

“With racism, are you born with it or is it taught?” Green said. “And honestly, I think you’re taught it. You’re not born a racist.”

Green mentioned other instances when the NBA crowds have crossed the line between fanatical fervor and verbal harassment, noting the most recent incident between Houston Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley and the son of the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s owner, Stuart Scaramucci.

Beverley was fined $25,000 for his interaction with Scaramucci, yet the fan was untouched and did not even receive a verbal warning from league or his own team.

“Cheer for your team. Do what you want. But if I’m playing in the game and you’re cheering for your team, it doesn’t give you the right to say whatever you want to say to me,” Green said. “This is my job, and I can’t go to your job and say whatever I want to you. If I went to someone else’s job and said whatever I wanted to say, I’d get arrested for harassment. It’s a fine line. I don’t think any league does a great job of making sure that athletes are protected.”

“The fans are great, but at times I think the leagues empower hecklers to say whatever they want to us. We are in a position where if you naturally react, you’re screwed, you’re losing money. But there are great fans out there, and all fans shouldn’t be put in that category.”

Jones was the recipient of a standing ovation at Fenway before his first plate appearance during Tuesday night’s game. While Jones and Green have never met, the latter offered his support.

“It’s unfortunate. I’d tell him to really try to keep the professionalism that he has. Hopefully, it will be dealt with. Just keep your head up and do what you do,” Green said.

Despite his experiences with racist taunts and shouting, Green admitted he can't fathom the stuff that Brooklyn Dodgers legend Jackie Robinson had dealt with as he became the very first black player in the major leagues, back in 1947.

“No, not at all. There is a reason that there is a day [in Major League Baseball] that everyone wears 42,” Green said.