Charles Barkley has gotten to know Draymond Green pretty well in the last year. The Warriors forward has occasionally joined the NBA on TNT crew with analysis and even acted as a sideline reporter during the 2022 All-Star Game. Barkley appears to know exactly how to deal with the often times disruptive Green on the hardwood too.
While on a zoom call with reporters Wednesday, Barkley was asked how he’d deal with Green’s on-the-court antics and constant chatter in the Finals. The Hall of Famer drew from personal experience.
“You just have to clock him one time with a good shot,” Barkley said, per the San Francisco Chronicle. “Draymond reminds me of Dennis Rodman. Anytime I’d play against Rodman, I’d hit him as hard as I could early in the game, and he would stop all of those antics. I’d do the same thing against Draymond.”
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Green was especially effective in his team’s Game 2 win against the Celtics with his defense and in-your-face-chatter between whistles. At one point in the game with already one technical foul, he got into an altercation with Jaylen Brown but he wasn’t assessed a second technical foul—which would warrant an automatic ejection. After the game, Green said he wasn’t worried about a second technical because he “earned differential treatment” and Barkley didn’t care for that comment.
“I think that was a huge mistake,” Barkley said. “I have some friends who are retired officials, and they were pissed. They were texting me during the game, saying ‘What the hell is up [with Green]? Why don’t they just toss this dude? He can’t be out there acting like a damn fool.’”
After the Warriors lost Game 3 Wednesday, Green struggled and had just two points, three assists and four rebounds in 35 minutes of action before he fouled out in the fourth quarter. Green told reporters he felt like he played “like s---“ after the loss.
Game 4 will tip-off Friday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
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