Getty Images Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors talks to Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics.
There’s been a lot of back and forth between Draymond Green and the Boston Celtics, which has prompted the mother of the Golden State Warriors star to get involved in the smack talk.
Green’s mom, Mary Babers-Green, sounded off on the Celtics and their “tough guy” mentality during an appearance on 95.7 The Game in the Bay Area.
“Them crying was just ridiculous because they are supposedly are the tough guys,” Babers-Green said. “So if you’re a tough guy, why you crying when somebody gets tough with you? Just play the game. Just go ahead and play the game.”
The Celtics have been critical of Green’s play, particularly Jaylen Brown, who got into it with him during a brief scuffle in the first half of Game 2.
“Don’t get caught up in that. Just do what we do best. We ain’t got time for that. Just come out and play basketball, let everything else take care of itself,” Brown told reporters on Tuesday. “I’m going to come out, do my job. Everybody needs to come out and do their job. We’re here to play basketball, so don’t get caught up in all the antics and stuff like that. Just come out and play.”
Draymond Green Still Gives His Mom Anxiety With Play
Green set the tone for the Warriors in a Game 2 win with some scrappy play and pushing things right to the line, picking up a technical early and nearly getting ejected.
“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I’m going on about my summer and we lost the NBA Finals because we couldn’t meet force with force,” Green told reporters on Tuesday. “So I think that was just kind of it for me, and understanding that, like I said, that is my department. That’s where I’m supposed to lead, and I can’t let my guys down.”
While Draymond can take care of himself, he still gives his mom some anxiety when he plays his physical brand on basketball. But as she noted, it’s nothing new.
“The older I get, Dray gives me anxiety,” Babers-Green said. “But it’s who is, I’m used to it. It’s nothing new. It’s who he’s been since he was 6 years old. He’s the same guy. That’s Draymond. If he doesn’t think the game is tough enough, he’ll go into character.”
Green Takes Heat For Comments on Toughness
Green started quite the debate this week when he called out some of his critics who played in the 1980s and ’90s, specifically Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell, who said the Warriors forward would have gotten “knocked the f–k out” if he played in the 1980s.
“Some of the guys that be talking weren’t the guys that was punching people,” Green fired back. “There were a few guys back then that would lay you out, that would knock you out, that would foul you and get thrown out the game: Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn. But everyone running around acting like they were that, y’all were getting bullied.”
Maxwel was not too happy with Green’s comments and ripped into the Warriors forward while on NBC Sports Boston on June 7.
“You keep saying nobody punched nobody. You ask Charles Barkley what happened when he and I got in a fight when I was in L.A. with the Clippers,” Maxwell said. “Draymond wasn’t even born when I was playing. … Draymond, ask your daddy who I was.”
“Draymond wasn’t even born when I was playing!”
Cedric Maxwell reacts to Draymond Green’s comments about him 😂
“I thought he did great. It’s physical. We look at basketball today and they’ll say, ‘Oh, basketball is soft.’ But then when you play tough it’s ‘Ah, he’s doing this, he’s doing that.’ I thought it was great,” Babers-Green said. “Keep doing it. I liked it. Somebody gotta do it.”
The Celtics are a 3.5-point home favorite for the Game 3 matchup, with the total set at 212.5 points.