Getty Draymond Green and Al Horford wrestle for a loose ball
Draymond Green is fast becoming the villain of the NBA Finals, with Boston Celtics fans growing frustrated with his on-court antics, and perceived over-the-top physicality.
On June 8, when the Celtics defeated the Golden State Warriors 116-100, the TD Garden crowd took the opportunity to let Green have it, and began chanting f*** you throughout the fourth quarter as the Warriors big was fouling out of the game.
“Draymond Sucks” and “F**k You Draymond” chants heavy as well as boos every touch of the ball #NBAFinals #warriors #draymond #Celtics #Bleedgreen
Following the game, Green took to his podcast, The Draymond Green show, to discuss his thoughts on the crowd’s antics, and to provide all the fans in attendance with a response.
“F**k you too,” Green said after addressing the chants. In fairness, Green did note how his family is upset as two of his three children were in attendance at the game, but he himself was not upset or angry, noting how he was pleased his son witnessed the environment, and that it would be a learning experience.
Steve Kerr, Klay Thompson Take Shots at Celtics Crowd
Of course, when the whole crowd is taking shots at a player on the court, everybody can hear it – even those around the world watching on television. While Green didn’t remain on the floor, due to fouling out, his teammates did continue to play whilst the crowd was chanting obscenities.
Speaking after the game on June 8, Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr took a moment to clap back at Celtics fans who were in attendance, “The crowd’s response to Draymond? Classy. Very classy,” Kerr told reporters.
However, the Warriors’ head coach wasn’t the only one to share his feelings on the matter, as Klay Thompson provided a similar response when asked about the treatment of Green during the game, “We’ve played in front of rude people before. Dropping f-bombs with children in the crowd. Real classy. Good job, Boston,” Thomspon told reporters.
Celtics Could Take Command of Series
Following their June 8 victory, the Celtics now own a 2-1 lead over the Warriors heading into game four, which will take place in front of a home crowd at the TD Garden. However, since the second round of the playoffs, Boston has struggled to consistently string wins together, especially when the opposing team comes out of the gates hot.
In fact, since the start of the post-season, the Celtics have lost five games directly after a win, which has played a part in them playing in two game seven’s – one against the Milwaukee Bucks and the other against the Miami Heat.
Celtics gotta be ready for that early punch from Golden State tomorrow. We need to see them learn how to win by matching intensity – can’t always be the tone-setter…I’m confident
Still, if Robert Williams can provide a similar impact to what he gave his team in game three, and both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can carry over their scoring and playmaking, Boston has a fantastic opportunity to take control of the series before heading back to San Francisco.
If the Celtics can take a three-game lead into game five, they will be in total command of the series and only one win away from lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy. However, first of all, they’ve got to overcome the Warriors on June 10, and considering how well they responded in game two, that doesn’t project to be an easy task.