by The ugly war of words between Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks took physical form as the pair wrestled on court in Thursday’s highly anticipated and feisty Grizzlies-Warriors matchup, just a day after the Warriors forward called a Grizzlies guard a “clown.”
With just over a minute left in the first half, Brooks stole a pass from the Warriors’ lane and converted a difficult lay-up to Green after teammate and defender Desmond Bane made a long-range shot to make it 57-74 in favor of the team. Grizzlies.
As Green retrieved the ball, he collided heads with Brooks, to the delight of a sold-out crowd at the FedEx Forum – home of the Grizzlies.
Both players showed amazing signs of self-control, especially Brooks, who had a four-time Warriors All-Star team shove a basketball straight into his face. The Canadian did not try to come into conflict with his rival, preferring to keep his cool for a while.
After Thursday’s battle, Brooks suggested to TNT’s Jared Greenberg that he “should give the mic back to Draymond and then we’ll talk about me… make him keep talking about me so I can play better.”
Draymond Green of the Warriors and Dillon Brooks of the Grizzlies clash heads in the first half
He later added, “That’s what I do, I say. I said [Draymond] keep this microphone open. Continue his podcast, continue blogging, do your thing off the field.
“You know it’s cute, it’s great fun for him.”
Brooks, 27, had his last laugh on Thursday as Memphis came out on top with a memorable 110-131 win. Green finished Thursday’s away loss with 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Brooks finished the game with 14 points, six assists and four rebounds in 34 minutes of action. Moreover, the Grizzlies and Warriors will face off for the last time this season, again in Memphis on March 18.
In the fourth quarter, Brooks was also seen arguing with Steph Curry after a Warriors guard went off the field. The pair constantly exchanged words on Thursday night as Brooks was tasked with keeping an eye on the four-time NBA defending champion.
Meanwhile, the latest beef between Green and Brooks began last week when the latter broke into the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year in an interview with ESPN. The four-time All-Defensive First Team Warriors waited until Wednesday to respond to his own podcast.
“I don’t like Draymond at all,” Brooks said on March 3. “I just don’t like Golden State. I don’t like having anything to do with them. Draymond talks a lot. A lot goes dry too. His game is cool – from Golden State – but if you put him anywhere else, you won’t know who Draymond is.
– He plays with his heart, he plays hard, he knows the secrets of their defense. I guess that’s why they like him there.
Green retorted with a carefully thought-out, sentence-by-sentence analysis of Brook’s remarks in a two-and-a-half-minute clip that broke into the Grizzlies’ open guard.
‘[Brooks] he said, “I don’t like Draymond at all.” You do not know me. It’s number one,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show on Wednesday.
“He said, ‘I just don’t like Golden State.’ To be honest, I wouldn’t want a team that beats me all the time either. It’s number two. ”I don’t want anything to do with them”
Green & Brooks battle it out on and off the court as the moods blew up on Thursday
On his podcast on Wednesday, Green called Brooks a “clown” and said his teammates didn’t like him
“Honestly, you were a little kid in high school watching us win championships. You should be happy you witnessed it at all… You’re a fan. It’s crazy.’
“If you’ve ever wondered why the Memphis Grizzlies aren’t ready to compete for a championship, look no further than this idiot here,” Green said. “They’re actually relying on this guy to help them win the championship and he says his game is cool. Honestly, it just shows how little you know about basketball. It gets really interesting there.
“Your understanding of the game of basketball is at the level of a fan. And you run around talking about dynasty? The dynasty begins after you, not with you. It’s just a fact. I know players like Dynasty. They are not clowns. This does not work with dynasty building.
‘Take it from me – I really know! Clowns don’t work to build dynasties.
“I’m trying to figure out why they like you in Memphis,” Green added. “Or do they like you in Memphis?” I’m not sure your teammates like you. It doesn’t lead to a win. I can tell you why they like me [in Golden State]. When you contribute the way I contributed to four world titles, they usually like you.
“Next time you talk to me, you should do some soul searching. The next time you talk about me, I hope you’re in a better position than now where the guys you play with really enjoy playing with you because they really think you’re contributing to winning.
