The feud between Draymond Green and Kenyon Martin has turned into one of the loudest ongoing exchanges in the NBA conversation. Both men come from Saginaw roots, both built their careers on edge and emotion, and both believe they carved out better paths than the other. Each new jab adds more fuel. Green called Martin an underachiever. Martin unloaded a long response and listed dozens of power forwards he felt were more skilled, per ClutchPoints. The rivalry grows each day.
A surprising voice stepped in to cool things down. Richard Jefferson, who played with both, used the “Road Trippin’” podcast to send a direct message to the two fiery forwards, Basketball Network reports. He compared their personalities, their impact, and the eras in which they played. Then he urged them to stop tearing each other down and start recognizing the qualities they share.
Jefferson did not downplay the tension. He said that if Green approached Martin in the early 2000s with the same tone he uses today, the confrontation would have exploded. “Draymond, you would have talked how you talked, because that’s who you are. But if you would have talked like that to Kenyon in ’04,” Jefferson said. “Y’all would have fought 100 percent.”
RJ explains why the fight would have been unavoidable
Jefferson played with Martin when the Nets reached the Finals, and he saw how quickly things could escalate. Martin delivered hard fouls, took suspensions, and established himself as an enforcer who never backed away. Jefferson listed Tracy McGrady, Karl Malone, and Corey Maggette as players who felt Martin’s presence when they attacked the rim. Martin did not care who held the ball. He made sure the message landed.
He also said Green would not have backed down either. That combination created a collision course. “You and him would have fought, and that’s kind of what Kenyon liked, and you would have been okay with it,” Jefferson said. He stressed that Martin never tolerated constant talking. Green is known for it, which Jefferson called factual. The exchange would have turned volatile the moment Green pushed too far.
Jefferson also pushed back on one of Green’s biggest criticisms of Martin. Green highlighted Martin’s lack of All Defensive selections. RJ gave context. He said Martin anchored the Nets defense during two Finals runs and guarded all over the floor. “He helmed the number one defense from our, my first year and my second year, our two NBA Finals years. He was guarding every position. He was that dude,” Jefferson said. The lack of accolades came from limited rebounding numbers, not limited defensive ability.
Jefferson urges both players to stop the argument
After laying out the reasons behind the tension, Jefferson switched gears and asked them to shut the feud down. He said the comparison makes no sense because they played in different eras with different officiating and different pacing. Martin played when the game slowed down and physicality ruled the paint. Green thrived during the rise of pace and space basketball. Both made their style work. Both found success.
“Please stop arguing. Neither of you guys are going to win this argument,” Jefferson said. He called them two of the greatest competitors he played with and said their accomplishments changed the game in their own ways. He also said the longer they trade insults, the harder it becomes to recognize how much they have in common.
Jefferson’s message asked them to shift focus, drop the shots, and show respect for the paths they built. The feud carries entertainment value, but he wants it to end before it overshadows what they did on the floor.
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