Charles Barkley has made it pretty clear he is no fan of the Golden State Warriors thanks to their fanbase, and he has gotten into it with Warriors forward Draymond Green in the past as well. While the two have squashed whatever beef they once had, it doesn’t stop them from poking some fun at each other.
Barkley previously roasted Green before Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals by asking why he was shooting in warmups when he never shoots in the game, and the two enjoyed a light-hearted back and forth after that. There was nothing light-hearted about Draymond’s exchange with Jaylen Brown during Game 2 of the NBA Finals, however, and on Wednesday, Barkley was asked how he would react to Green’s antics on the court.
“You just have to clock him one time, with a good shot,” Barkley said. “Draymond reminds me of Dennis Rodman. Anytime I’d play against Rodman, I’d hit him as hard as I could early in the game, and he would stop all of those antics. I’d do the same thing against Draymond.”
That’s a classic Chuck response right there. It is not the first time Barkley has compared Green to Dennis Rodman, as on an episode of Draymond’s podcast, he said the Warriors’ forward reminded him of Rodman. Rodman was one of the more unique characters in the NBA, and while Green can never match that eccentricity, there are similarities between the two.
Barkley’s way of dealing with Green differs from what Jeff Van Gundy suggested, with the coach-turned announcer stating that you either completely ignore Green or you confront him every time. The Celtics opted to go with their coach’s approach of dealing with Green on a case-by-case basis, and we did see one verbal altercation between Green and Grant Williams during the game.
For all the focus that was on Green heading into Game 3, he turned out to be almost a non-factor in it, as the Celtics dealt with him well for the most part. They responded to adversity the way they have done all postseason, by overcoming it and coming out on top. The NBA title is now within touching distance after going up 2-1 in the series, and they will be looking to deliver another knockout blow to Golden State in Game 4.
