Retired NBA forward Kenyon Martin clarified his ‘fake tough guy’ take on Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green. Charles Oakley says players would have punched Green in the ’90s, and Draymond agreed with that take on his podcast.
Martin says Green’s tactics to get underneath opposing players’ skin are by design, which is why he doesn’t believe it’s fake, Kenyon said, per Gil’s Arena Podcast.
“I’ve watched Draymond’s career from the time he came in until now. And I think a lot of the things and the people who he has done things to has been calculated,” Martin said. “It’s not spur-of-the-moment things. It ain’t reactionary things and he hasn’t hit someone or did something to someone, and someone’s instant reaction is the next step.”
While Martin respects the four-time champion’s career, he doesn’t rank Green in the same tier as past NBA bigs known for their tough-guy personas.
“I respect Draymond’s career, what he’s done, what he has done for the Warriors, four-time champion, and all those things,” Martin adds. “Not to take anything off his career, but I just don’t put him in the category with Rick Mahorn, Charles Oakley, those guys.”
Draymond Green agrees with Charles Oakley’s take
Warriors veteran Draymond Green knows things would be different for him physically if he played in the NBA during the ’90s. Green agreed with Oakley’s take that he’d be fighting a lot more often than he does in today’s league, he said, per
“I’ve got the utmost respect for Uncle Oak. There would be no slander here. As far as trash-talking and getting hit in the mouth, I can agree with that,” Green said. “I probably would’ve gotten hit in the mouth. Because, quite honestly, Uncle Oak, I’m from Saginaw, Michigan. I’ve been hit in my mouth before. In the nose, and everything.”
For Green, getting hit in the face won’t do anything to quiet him down.
“Uncle Oak, I’ve been punched in the mouth before. I’ve been punched in the nose before. So talking the way I talk, a punch in the mouth ain’t going to stop me from talking,” Green said. “But the story also just doesn’t end like, ‘Oh man, Draymond got punched in the mouth, boom story.’ The story don’t end that way. You’re going to have to punch me in the mouth every time you see me.
“Because if you punch me in the mouth, I’m going to fight you every time I see you. Whether I get my a** whooped or win,” Green concluded.
The Warriors will face the Heat on Wednesday.
