Getty Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors and Steven Adams #4 of the Memphis Grizzlies fight for the rebound during the first quarter in Game Five of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals at FedExForum on May 11, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors took a beatdown from the Grizzlies in Memphis Wednesday night and Dubs’ star forward Draymond Green leaned directly into it, both during the game and after.
Before the Warriors lost 134-95 in a game they trailed by as many as 55 points, point guard Steph Curry was asked by ESPN’s Kendra Andrews what the team’s strategy was heading into a road contest that could potentially close out the series.
“I also asked Stephen Curry what the plan was tonight and he just turned around and looked at me and said, ‘Whoop that Trick.’ That is our game plan” 😳
“Whoop that trick,” Curry said. “That is our game plan.”
Curry’s comment was making reference to the song “Whoop That Trick” released by Memphis rapper Al Kapone in 2005 and featured in the film “Hustle & Flow” that same year. It has since become a motto of Grizzlies fans.
Those fans used Curry’s words as a taunt against his team once the blowout was in hand Wednesday night.
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Green Embraces Taunts From Grizzlies Fans
Getty/Justin FordDraymond Green of the Golden State Warriors stirs up the Memphis crowd after being ejected in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Grizzles at FedExForum.
Down 46 points with 8 minutes and 40 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, chants of “whoop that trick” began to emanate loudly from the crowd and over the loudspeaker at FedEx Forum.
Most of the Warriors starters were on the bench for the night with the game out of reach, and Green took the opportunity to join in with the Memphis fans in their celebration.
Green, fully clad in his Golden State warmups, began jumping and waving his towel over his head in unison with the beat, drawing smiles and laughs from those in the stands.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweeted Green’s explanation for his actions, which he offered during the postgame press conference.
Draymond Green on the fourth quarter Whoop that Trick chant: “One thing I don’t respect is people who only bring it when they winning, embrace crowds when they winning.”
“They not going whoop that trick alone. We gonna whoop that trick together if we’re gonna whoop that trick,” Green said.
“One thing I don’t respect is people who only bring it, only embrace crowds when they winning. We call those frontrunners. We’re not frontrunners, you know?” Green continued. “We got our ass kicked — that’s alright, it happens. But we don’t be frontrunners. When you spew it out, you gotta be willing to take it — not hide from it, not duck from it, not run from it, embrace it. So I appreciated the crowd tonight, the energy they brought to the game. If they wanna whoop that trick, we gonna whoop em’ together.”
Green Has Recent History of Interactions With Grizzlies Fan Base
GettyDraymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Kyle Anderson of the Memphis Grizzlies fight for the ball during Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals at FedExForum on May 1, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Green’s antics Wednesday night were not even the first time he’s had a notable interaction with Memphis fans during this series.
NBA referees ejected Green from Game 1 following his hard foul on Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, during which Green made contact with Clarke’s face and then appeared to grab his jersey and pull him toward the ground. One his way out of the arena, Green gave the middle finger to heckling members of the Memphis crowd, an action that cost him a $25,000 fine.
Green spoke to his actions, and the fine, following that game. His tone was not one of remorse.
Draymond Green on flipping the middle finger to the Memphis fans:
“It felt really good flipping them off… I’ll take the fine. I’ll go do an appearance and make the money…. If they gonna be that nasty, I can be nasty too… I make $25 million a year I should be just fine”
“It felt really good flipping them off. I’ll take the fine,” Green said. “I’ll go do an appearance and make the money. If they gonna be that nasty, I can be nasty, too. I make $25 million a year. I should be just fine.”
The Warriors will host the Grizzlies for Game 6 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday night at 7 p.m. Western Standard Time.