One of the NBA beefs nobody saw coming this season was between Draymond Green and Kenyon Martin. It all started when Martin called the Golden State Warriors star a “fake tough guy.” Things escalated further after Green pointed out the former NBA player’s lack of accomplishments.
On the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, the four-time NBA champion opened up about his reputation for instigating fights. He claimed that he’s never been in a lot of fights and doesn’t regret any of his on-court antics over the years.
However, Green did admit that one moment he looks back on in dismay was striking Jusuf Nurkic. He thought that it prevented him from getting named to Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“That moment cost me an opportunity to win a third gold medal. And so I look back at that one and be like, ‘Man, that sucks.’ But like I said, I don’t live my life with any regrets at all. S**t happens. It is what it is. Things still turned out to be pretty fine for me. I can’t complain, but I would say looking back on that moment, which is what it is, it’d be that one,” Green said, via HoopsHype.
The NBA ended up suspending him indefinitely, which turned into a total of 12 games. The incident happened on December 13, 2023, so he wasn’t even named in the 28-player pool a month later. He won gold with Team USA in the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Green Showing More Discipline This Season
There’s no question that Draymond Green remains one of the most emotional players in the NBA. Green was third in total technical fouls last season with 18, just behind Anthony Edwards and Dillon Brooks.
However, Green has shown more restraint this season with just three technical fouls so far, as per NBC Sports Bay Area. His on pace to just have 12 this season, though things can quickly escalate as long as he’s on the court.
If Golden State remains a .500 team heading into 2026, frustrations are going to boil over, and Green will be more susceptible to more unfavorable calls. The Warriors need him at his best behavior if they want to finish in the playoff spots.
Green Buries Beef With Young Player
While Draymond Green still has beef with Kenyon Martin, he recently buried one earlier this season. Green got into a beef with Houston Rockets star Tari Eason during the 2023-24 season, as reported by Sports Illustrated.
Things escalated last season, especially in the playoffs, as the Rockets collided with the Warriors in the first round. It reached a point where Eason’s mother was in an online beef with the former Defensive Player of the Year.
Back on November 26, the Warriors faced off against the Rockets for the first time this season. Eason didn’t suit up because of injury, but he dapped up Green after the game.
Teroya Eason explained on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the two men squashed their beef and talked like real grown-ups. She summed it up by saying that mothers are always off limits when it comes to trash talk.
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