Draymond Green has never been one to back down from a feud, but he is taking the high road with Memphis Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks — at least for now.
ESPN’s Tim Keown wrote a lengthy feature on Brooks that was published Friday. One of the topics that was covered is the issues Brooks and his Grizzlies teammates have had with the Golden State Warriors. Keown said he pointed out to Brooks that the swingman and Green play a similar game in that they can guard multiple positions and go out of their way to aggravate opponents. Brooks was not thrilled with the comparison.
Brooks said he has no positive feelings toward the Warriors. He also shared his belief that Green would not be a household name if the four-time All-Star played for a team other than Golden State.
“I don’t like Draymond at all. I just don’t like Golden State. I don’t like anything to do with them,” Brooks said. “Draymond talks a lot. Gets away with a lot, too. His game is cool — with Golden State — but if you put him anywhere else, you’re not going to know who Draymond is. He plays with heart, plays hard, knows the ins and outs of their defense. I guess that’s why they like him over there.”
Green was given a chance to respond to the slight from Brooks. Keown said the former Defensive Player of the Year “laughed and chose to pass on the opportunity to respond.”
There is a lot of bad blood between the Warriors and Grizzlies after what happened in the second round of the playoffs last year. Brooks was at the center of the drama when he committed a flagrant 2 foul that resulted in Gary Payton II breaking his elbow (video here). The Warriors were then accused of retaliating with a dirty play of their own.
The Warriors won the series in six games and went on to hoist another Larry O’Brien Trophy. Should they meet Memphis in the postseason again this year, you can be certain Green will remember the latest trash talk from Brooks.
