Warriors forward Draymond Green is no stranger to boos from Memphis Grizzlies fans.
So when he was met with a chorus of them in his return from suspension on Monday at FedExForum, it wasn’t anything new.
It was, however, a bit comical to Green for a very specific reason, as he explained on the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show.“
“It also felt good to boo the crowd back because they were booing like always in Memphis,” Green said. “Which is quite crazy that the Memphis fans hate me so much, being that they wanted me in free agency. Would have been really funny if I ended up in Memphis. I just wonder what the reception would have been if I actually ended up in Memphis.”
Green made his first foray into NBA free agency this past offseason, but he ultimately returned to the team that drafted him when he signed a four-year, $100 million Warriors contract at the end of June. And while the Golden State veteran has said in the past he fielded more lucrative offers from other teams, it looks like Memphis was in the running, too.
And in Green’s eyes, it would have been quite the comical situation if he ended up in a city where a majority of fans dislike him.
“But yeah, they really hate me there and to be honest, I love it and I love them and I love that they love to hate me,” Green continued. “It’s a very great thing. I think their fans are hilarious and it’s always a great time. It’s always in good fun.”
Green admits he had one encounter with Grizzlies fans that wasn’t all fun and games — when he flipped off the crowd during Game 2 of the 2022 Western Conference semifinals. It came as the Warriors star was walking to the locker room to get a cut under his right eye stitched up after he took an elbow from Memphis big man Xavier Tillman. Grizzlies fans showered Green with boos, so he responded with the double bird.
The former NBA Defensive Player of the Year appreciates his epic back-and-forths with fans of the Grizz, and he looks back on that moment as “a fun time in my life and a fun moment in my NBA career.”
“But I felt like they were well-deserved at that point,” Green said of the incident. “You’re cheering for someone getting injured. That’s the lowest class of class. However, I love the city of Memphis.”
With how much public adoration Green oddly shows a fanbase that doesn’t return the favor, it might not have been the end of the world if he did in fact end up in Memphis. But Golden State certainly was happy the four-time NBA champion decided to stay in the Bay.
“Although they hate me and they boo, I love those boos,” Green said of Grizzlies fans. “Keep them coming. It’s great.”
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