Draymond Green’s beef just keeps on growing. After he and Austin Rivers have been trading blows in recent days, the Golden State Warriors veteran is now going after Charles Barkley.
The two were both on Inside the NBA on ESPN and Barkley was taking some subtle shots at Green by saying that Golden State’s run is over. Green eventually fired back, stating that he just wants to make sure he doesn't end up like Barkley at the end of his career playing for the Houston Rockets.
Many on social media went after Green and said that he wishes he could be the player Barkley was at the end of his career. It’s true that Barkley was obviously a superior player late into his career -- he was a superior player period and the stats prove that.
Green has the rings even if Barkley has the better stats
But Green’s point still stands because Barkley was on the Rockets at the end of a long, distinguished career and had no rings to show for it. Barkley never won a championship and he’s never really liked the Warriors, so of course he was going to take some shots at Green while he had the chance.
Nothing Barkley said was out of bounds and he made sure to credit Green and the Warriors for having a great run, but the way he dismissively said that Green and Stephen Curry would have to go to other teams if they wanted to contend for a title just doesn’t quite sit right, even if there's some truth to what he’s saying.Â
Barkley and Warriors fans have not exactly gotten along over the years. Perhaps Barkley never forgave the fans who antagonized him during the playoffs back in 2022 during that championship run, having nearly goaded him into throwing things into the crowd.
He has always delighted in picking against the Warriors and saying that they’re done and washed, and he's been waiting a long time to pronounce the end of the Warriors’ dynasty.
He’s far from the only one. So much of the NBA has been waiting for the Warriors to be dethroned, and while it's happened gradually the last few seasons, it definitely feels like this Warriors team can no longer consider themselves a perennial title contender.
Green even acknowledged as much with Barkley, saying that there was a reason he, Curry and head coach Steve Kerr shared a hug towards the end of the loss in the Play-In to the Phoenix Suns last month. They know this thing is getting towards the end, and they know there's a chance it’s already run its course.
Barkley had to take some delight in being able to pronounce the dynasty dead to Green’s face, but at least Draymond got to remind him of the end of his NBA career when he was toiling away in Houston without ever getting the taste of championship glory.
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