Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is back at it toeing the line.
The mercurial Green dedicated more than eight minutes of air time to his podcast slamming Jusuf Nurkic and even taking a dig at his former teammate and friend, Kevin Durant, following their emotional 113-112 win against the Phoenix Suns on February 10.
“Questioning my character I thought was whack but like guys are making a habit out of that. Him (Jusuf Nurkic) and Kevin (Durant) questioned my character before,” Green said on “The Draymond Green Show” uploaded on February 13. “As if you’re going to question somebody’s character about a basketball game like this isn’t real life. As if that doesn’t affect somebody’s pockets.”
Green took offense at Nurkic assassinating his character anew in the media after the game and Durant’s past comment about him hoping he “gets the help he needs.”
“Like, I think all of it was really cowardly…You gonna question somebody’s character, you got my phone number. If you hope I get the help I need, hit me and say that. So, like I said, I thought it was all cowardly. That’s where those emotions came from,” Green added, explaining his celebration in front of Durant’s face after the win.
Draymond Green Calls Jusuf Nurkic ‘Little Guy’ and ‘Clown’
Green repeatedly referred to Nurkic as the “little guy” and “clown” throughout the segment after they traded “too small” taunts in their heated first meeting since the December 12 smacking incident which led to the Warriors forward’s 12-game suspension.
“The little guy (Nurkic) goes in the media and he says ‘I take my words back. He doesn’t deserve another chance. It’s only a matter of time before he hits someone else’ and quite frankly I would love to know why is it only a matter of time before I hit someone else because I destroyed him. Because what in that game that happened with me would make you say something like that other than getting embarrassed because you’re just not good enough,” Green said.
Nurkic responded to Green’s outburst on his podcast with tweet on X, formerly Twitter:
“All good bad boy (Green). Just don’t stay too long on podcast, gonna be late for therapy session.” (laughing emoji)
As part of the condition of Green’s return from suspension is undergoing counseling, which he promised to continue until the end of the season.
Draymond Green Tried to Recruit LeBron James
The Warriors made a serious bid at LeBron James that went for naught, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.
Behind the bold move was Green, who pushed Warriors owner Joe Lacob to pursue the Los Angeles Lakers superstar.
Armed with the encouragement of Warriors star Draymond Green, Golden State owner Joe Lacob reached out to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss to inquire whether James’ apparent public frustration could be interpreted as an opening to discuss a trade, sources said.
Buss told Lacob the Lakers had no desire to trade James, but that he would need to seek the answer on James’ state of mind from his agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, sources said. As an owner, Buss has operated with the mindset that she wants her star players content with the franchise, and that instructed her thinking on referring Warriors leadership to James’ representation, sources said.
Green also went through back channel, trying to recruit James to join the Warriors.
Earlier Wednesday, Green — whom Paul also represents at Klutch — had sent Paul a text message soliciting his help convincing James to join him in Golden State, sources said. Once, Green had been a lead recruiter on Kevin Durant’s free agency signing with Golden State, but this was a far different, far more futile eleventh-hour pursuit.
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