Draymond Green is seen as the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty over the last decade or so, but he has also been seen as something of a loose cannon.
He has occasionally gotten involved in what some would call violent on-the-court incidents that have resulted in ejections and even suspensions for him, and one of them involved Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic.
Earlier this season, Green hit Nurkic in the face and was indefinitely suspended by the NBA as a result, and afterward, Nurkic said publicly that Green “needs help.”
Jusuf Nurkic on the Draymond Green Flagrant 2: “What’s going on with him, I don’t know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help. I’m glad he didn’t try to choke me.” pic.twitter.com/NIVmKSEjmF
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) December 13, 2023
Then, after the Sacramento Kings knocked the Warriors out of the play-in tournament, Nurkic threw shade at Green and his team with this tweet:
— Jusuf Nurkić 🇧🇦 (@bosnianbeast27) April 17, 2024
In response, Green said on “The Big Podcast” to Shaquille O’Neal that Nurkic is the “biggest hater” in the league.
Draymond Green:
“The biggest hater inside the NBA is [Jusuf] Nurkic”
(🎥 @bigpodwithshaq) pic.twitter.com/8gCP2XpipL
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) May 22, 2024
The Warriors power forward implied that Nurkic has no right to talk trash to him because Nurkic has a very poor record in the playoffs.
Nurkic’s Phoenix Suns boasted a star-studded roster that included Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal this season, but despite being picked by some to reach the NBA Finals, they were swept in the first round of the playoffs.
Both teams face an uncertain immediate future — the Suns have no almost no draft picks for the next several years after trading most of them to get Durant and Beal, while the Warriors’ dynasty appears to be over.
But Green is under contract through the 2026-27 season, so he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, especially after he said he won’t want to “ring chase” at the end of his career.
NEXT:
Draymond Green Makes His Thoughts Clear About Future With Warriors
