Draymond Green doesn’t exactly have a squeaky clean reputation on the court, so it’s somewhat surprising he’s managed to avoid any dust-ups through two games of the 2017 NBA Finals.
Just don’t tell him that.
A reporter asked Green about his good behavior in a press conference Sunday night after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-113 in Game 2 at Oracle Arena to take a 2-0 series lead. The question immediately prompted a “Jeez” from Green’s teammate, Kevin Durant, and the polarizing Warriors forward followed with a few choice words of his own.
“You act like I’m just this troubled guy who’s been in a bunch of trouble and can’t control myself. Jesus Christ,” Green said, before the reporter interjected to explain his question.
Green then offered a snarky answer (“I’ve just been playing basketball, brother”) before ultimately praising his teammates.
But the exchange still was interesting, because on the one hand, Green’s reputation — including a suspension in Game 5 of last year’s NBA Finals — precedes him, making it fair to point out his good behavior in contrast to the rest of his career. Yet on the other hand, one could argue the reporter was baiting Green by mentioning the two-time All-Star’s questionable past.
Either way, the Cavs might need Green to be the knucklehead he was in last year’s NBA Finals in order to climb out of their 2-0 series hole. And so far, it doesn’t seem like that version of Green is showing up, much to Golden State’s benefit.
