Getty Draymond Green, Warriors
Sure, they make, collectively, $180 million and have a private, NBA team-owned plane. But like the rest of us, the Golden State Warriors are not immune to travel difficulties, or to the frustration that comes with those difficulties. And Draymond Green will stand by his right to complain about those difficulties.
On Monday, after the Warriors were able to grind out a tight win in Indiana, the team was prepared to fly to New York for the second half of a back-to-back with the Knicks. Back-to-backs are tough enough, but then came word that the team plane was experiencing mechanical issues and that efforts to secure another plane were unsuccessful.
As Marcus Thompson of The Athletic reported just before midnight, “They are staying overnight and leaving for New York on a Tuesday morning.”
The Warriors are stuck in Indianapolis due to mechanical issues with their plane, sources to tell me and @anthonyVslater. They are staying overnight and leaving for New York on a Tuesday morning. They are schedule the Knicks tomorrow on a back-to-back.
For Draymond Green, this was less than optimal.
He wrote on Twitter: “Fly in the day of the game. After playing a game the night before. And play a game. Wow.”
Draymond Gets Into it With Fans
While the Warriors’ plight—teams never fly on game days unless there is no other choice—is understandable, many on Twitter did not have much patience for Green’s complaints. It is, after all, a two-hour private flight, and, in the end, basketball is a game as much as a job.
One user had an eye-rolling response to Green: “Try getting up to work everyday and still not having enough to make Christmas happen for your kids. Wow, different problems.”
But Green, to his credit, held his own.
“Your problems are your problems,” Green wrote. “My problems are (mine). The one thing they have in common, they are problems. It’s all relative my man. However, maybe I can help you out for Christmas.”
@dse41678 Your problems are your problems. My problems are. The one thing they have in common, they are problems. It’s all relative my man. However, maybe I can help you out for Christmas.
Another user seemed to lack a grasp of Green’s complaint, noting that plenty of NBA teams do back-to-backs but not noting that almost never do those teams travel on game days. “Damn, didn’t expect to hear excuses,” he wrote. “It’s called a second night of a back to back.. it’s very common actually. Suns were on the second night of a back to back when you played them last. While y’all had 2 whole days off in between. Why didn’t you say anything about it then?”
To him, Green responded, “You’re such a great critic, you’re not coming off as very smart. Grab some facts before you respond. Happy Tuesday.”
Stephen Curry 3-Point Chase Dominates for Warriors
Of course, the background of all of this is that the Warriors are heading to New York to play the Knicks in a nationally televised game in which star guard Stephen Curry has the chance to break the all-time NBA record for made 3-pointers. Curry made five in the win over Indiana—he attempted 15—leaving him in need of just two to pass Ray Allen, the current record holder.
He will have the chance to get the record at Madison Square Garden, a place he had his coming-out party in 2013 with a 54-point performance.
“I’m enjoying the moment and now you’re knocking on the doorstep, it’s pretty surreal,” Curry said in his postgame press conference. “But just trying to let it happen. It’s one thing I’ve learned these last three games, is keep playing basketball, keep taking shots you think you’ll make and enjoy the experience of it because it’s a long time coming.”