A tense on-air moment arrived earlier this week between Draymond Green and Charles Barkley, with the four-time Golden State Warriors champion taking a shot at the NBA legend.
While discussing the future of the Warriors on ESPN‘s “Inside the NBA,” Barkley suggested they wouldn’t be good anymore, prompting debate about Green’s future.
Green harshly suggested nobody wants to look the way Barkley did in a Houston Rockets uniform, his final team before he officially retired.
While appearing on an Arizona Sports 98.7 video after the incident, one of the hosts praised Barkley for handling the situation with grace and humility, and not firing back during the interaction on ESPN.
Barkley thanked him for the kind words and told him, “I never punch down. Draymond’s a good player. We’re not on the same level.”
“I don’t have to respond every time someone says something about me. Draymond’s a really good player. He’s had a hell of a career, but we’re not on the same level,” the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer said.
More news: LeBron James Gives Blunt Responses on Officiating in Lakers’ Game 2 Loss
Barkley indicated he’s not “sensitive” and is a “big boy,” reminding everyone he’s no stranger to taking shots at players.
“That’s one thing I’m confident about. When I say something about a guy, it’s never personal,” he said during “Bickley and Marotta.”
As mentioned, the surprising remarks came while Green was filling in for Shaquille O’Neal on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA” and seemed to be a response to Barkley’s suggestion that the Warriors dynasty was over.
“Nobody wins when they’re 37, 38,” the NBA legend said regarding the age of the Warriors’ core players.
“I think the goal is to just not look like you in the Houston Rockets uniform,” Green told him, possibly trying to joke as Barkley does with Kenny Smith and Shaq.
Read more: Draymond Green Blasted After Awkward, Viral Moment With Charles Barkley
However, it came across as a jab, as the four-time champion suggested Barkley, who played multiple seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns, shouldn’t be happy with how his NBA career ended in his final seasons with the Rockets.
“Did you see it? I saw it,” Green replied when Kenny Smith asked him to elaborate on what he meant.
While Barkley never won an NBA Championship, he finished his career as an 11-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA First Team selection, and the 1993 NBA Most Valuable Player.
He was also among the 75 greatest NBA players when the league celebrated its 75th anniversary, and became an individual Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee in 2006
Green’s comment on ESPN was certainly surprising. It seemed to have no real basis, because comparing Barkley’s stats in his final Rockets seasons to Green’s recent Warriors seasons shows the NBA legend is clearly a different level player, championships or not.
More news: NBA Announces LeBron James History With Lakers Playoff Game
For more about the NBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Related Articles
