Getty Images Warriors forward Draymond Green.
Draymond Green is on a revenge tour and took aim at the Boston Celtics after his Golden State Warriors captured the NBA championship on Thursday.
Green fired back at most of his critics on social media — from Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports to Pelicans guard CJ McCollum and others. But he also had some shade for the Celtics as a whole, poking fun at their “energy shift” rallying cry.
“The energy shifted. 4X,” Green tweeted, referencing the Warriors fourth title with the current core.
The Energy Shifted
4X
Draymond Green Had Lots of Shade to go Around
The statement was perceived as shade because of a now-infamous tweet from Celtics star Jaylen Brown in January that was seen as the turning point in the Celtics’ season. That tweet read: “The energy is about to shift.” Brown explained the statement in a May 4 interview with Malika Andrews of ESPN.
Green also trolled the Celtics with a shirt that was handed out at the game that said, “It’s all about 18.” Green scribbled in the 18th square, writing, “Nope! Maybe in ’23!”
Let’s do a Draymond Green fit check 😂
In another tweet, Green said he rocked all black walking into the stadium because he was heading to a funeral.
Draymond Green Stepped Up During Finals Amid Criticism
Green had some rough games to open up the series, making just six shots through the first four games. But the former Defensive Player of the Year bounced back, especially in the clinching effort in Game 6, nearly notching a triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists.
“For me, it was just about staying the course. And I knew that I hadn’t had a great game yet. I had good games, I was clamping and doing things, but I had not quite put it all together yet,” Green said after Game 6. “For me, I said what better time than to put it together tonight. I don’t think I heard “F-you, Draymond” all night. They couldn’t. So, you know, it’s easy to chant ‘f–k you’ when somebody is having a bad game, but can’t you do that when they’re having a great game? I didn’t hear much of it tonight. Maybe I was just that locked in.”
Warriors head coach Stever Kerr credited Green for helping lead the way on the defensive end for Golden State during the championship effort. They held the Celtics to under 100 points in the final three games of the series.
“I think what made this group really special is besides the obvious with Steph was the defensive intensity and versatility, and for that, Draymond is the guy to point to, the leader of it all,” Kerr told reporters. “But the additions of Wiggs, Gary Payton, the return of Klay, the emergence of Loon, it all factored in.”