The simmering rivalry between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies reached a boiling point after Draymond Green’s controversial foul on Grizzlies rookie Zach Edey. But instead of staying quiet, Green fired back at Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins for what he deemed an overly “emotional” response to the incident.
Green Trips Up Edey, Jenkins Cries Foul
The play in question occurred during the third quarter of the Warriors’ recent victory. As Green drove to the basket, he lost control of the ball. Edey scooped it up and threw an outlet pass, but his leg got tangled with Green’s, sending the 7’3″ center tumbling to the floor. The refs called it a transition take foul, but upon league review the next day, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1.
Jenkins was incensed, telling the media there’s “a code in this league” and that he was “very disappointed” the foul wasn’t reviewed during the game. Edey agreed it “definitely wasn’t a basketball play.” But Green scoffed at their complaints.
“You run into the media crying about a foul that, c’mon bro, with your 7-3 rookie. So guess what you just taught your 7-3 rookie? How to be emotional and run to the media talking about a foul. We bigs, we big men. You don’t run to the media talking about the foul, you a big man.”
– Draymond Green
Green: Jenkins “Too Emotional” In Playoffs
Green didn’t stop there. He accused Jenkins of being “too emotional” during their heated playoff series last year, which the Warriors won in six games. According to Green, Jenkins’ inability to control his emotions spread to his young team.
“You got janky Taylor Jenkins, who’s a softie…we beat y’all in the NBA playoffs because he was too emotional. And so then his team followed that and they follow your lead and collapse because they couldn’t deal with the emotions of it. But they coach couldn’t deal with the emotions of it.”
– Draymond Green
Green’s History of Controversial Fouls
Of course, Green is no stranger to committing hard fouls and pushing the boundaries on the court. Just last season, he was suspended for hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the face. His physical, trash-talking style of play has made him a lightning rod throughout his career.
While Jenkins and the Grizzlies clearly felt wronged, Green seems to think they need to toughen up, especially if they want to take the next step as championship contenders. He didn’t pull any punches in putting the young coach on blast.
Heated Rivalry Continues To Grow
This war of words is just the latest chapter in the budding rivalry between the Warriors and Grizzlies. With Edey joining a talented young core featuring Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis appears poised to battle Golden State for Western Conference supremacy for years to come.
But Green and the battle-tested Warriors aren’t about to back down. If anything, this incident will only add more fuel to the fire next time these teams meet. For NBA fans, that’s a very exciting prospect.
Will Jenkins and the Grizzlies develop thicker skin and use this as motivation? Can they knock the championship-savvy Warriors off their perch? Time will tell, but one thing is for sure – with these two alpha dogs barking at each other, there will be no shortage of drama and must-see TV whenever the Warriors and Grizzlies clash on the hardwood.
