The Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks do not like one another. This dates all the way back to two years ago when the Grizzlies beat the Warriors in the play-in tournament. Green eviscerated Brooks on his eponymous podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” but Brooks got the last laugh in Thursday night’s Grizzlies win over the Warriors.
Brooks was profiled in a recent ESPN piece and had some things to say about Green and the Warriors.
“I don’t like Draymond at all,” Brooks says. “I just don’t like Golden State. I don’t like anything to do with them. Draymond talks a lot. Gets away with a lot, too. His game is cool — with Golden State — but if you put him anywhere else, you’re not going to know who Draymond is. He plays with heart, plays hard, knows the ins and outs of their defense. I guess that’s why they like him over there.”
Naturally those comments made their way to Draymond, and he chose to address them on his podcast.
“He said, ‘I just don’t like Golden State.’ I, quite frankly, wouldn’t like a team that beats me all the time either,” Green said. “If you ever wondered why the Memphis Grizzlies is not ready to compete for a championship, look no further than this idiot right here. They actually are depending on this guy to help them win a championship, and he says ‘his game is cool.’ Quite frankly, that just shows how little you know about basketball.”
Green’s Master Clapback
Green attacks every part of Brooks’ comments point by point. It was a master class in how to respond and shut your opponent down. Everything he says about Brooks and the Grizzlies is essentially true.
The four-time champion, All-Star, All-Defense and Defensive Player of the Year is the far superior player.
But the thing is. Brooks doesn’t care.
You have to have an ego and a level of delusion to play in the NBA. Think about it. This is the best basketball league in the world. The chances of a young kid with the dream of playing and making multiple contracts in this league are very slim.
The NBA is full of players who were told they’d never make it.
Brooks Keeps Coming
To do what Brooks does, hound the opponent’s best player and fight through and over the top of screens all game long isn’t easy. You need a short memory and a relentless spirit.
During Thursday’s game, a wire-to-wire Grizzlies victory, Brooks was at his annoying pestering best and got into it with Green. There were no technicals handed out, but it was spicy.
Following the game Brooks was asked on the TNT walk-off interview what he thought of Draymond’s comments.
“You should give the mic to Draymond,” said Brooks. “Make him keep talking about me so I can play better.”
You have to love it. This is what all the oldheads say they miss about the NBA and want back in the game. Well here you have it. Two teams with history and two players that don’t like each other.
Is it too much to ask the basketball gods for seven games of this during the playoffs?
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