The Golden State Warriors extended their winning run to three following a recent 97-84 home win against the Charlotte Hornets. Despite a comfortable victory, the home crowd witnessed a last-minute fight between Lester Quinones and Grant Williams, resulting in ejections. Following the unpredictable events, Draymond Green revealed his thoughts before menacingly sounding off on the Hortners star.
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After the conclusion of the clash, Green broke down his viewpoint on the entire scuffle resulting in the controversy. Initially, the 4x champion questioned the ridiculousness of the unwritten rule of refusing to score in the final seconds during a dominant win. Then, the 33-year-old opened up about his thoughts on the fight as he raised concerns over the Hornets star’s actions.
“Grant Williams gotta stop it, man. This tough guy (act) is going absolutely wrong for him. He’s a really nice guy…He needs to figure it out because, oh boy, talking too much is kind of what got you out of Dallas [Mavericks]. Overdoing it…Pray for Grant Williams,” the Michigan-born mentioned.
Despite possessing a tone of mockery, Green seemingly aimed to provide the 25-year-old with a set of guidelines to succeed in the NBA. The latter’s current course requires a major shift as it could lead to negative consequences time and again. There is a little comedic irony present here, as Draymond Green, of all people in the NBA, is criticizing a different player’s behavior, despite his own track record.
As for Williams’s problematic behavior, the Hornets star did in fact go too far. But given how he is likely looking to change the Hornets’ culture to one more akin to a competent franchise, his retaliation may have been a key stepping stone. And if it does end up motivating his teammates the way he’d wish for, it’s hard not to see the franchise respecting him more, rather than booting him out the door.
The history between the Golden State Warriors and Grant Williams goes long back
The 2022 NBA Finals marked the toughest period of the 6ft 6″ forward’s career as his Boston Celtics lost the series to the Dubs. Despite taking a 2-1 lead, his team succumbed to the pressure as the Warriors displayed their pedigree with a comeback. It resulted in the initiation of difficult dynamics between the entities, keeping the doors open for future exchanges.
The Warriors’ talisman Stephen Curry took matters to the extreme while hosting the ESPY later that year. The 2x MVP mocked the defensive enforcer openly, stating, “Grant Williams, I see you in the building! It’s great to see you again, my man! I know you like this color, I’ll let you borrow it after I’m done. I might even let you wear a ring”.
Hence, all built-up emotions might have become the driving force in the recent game. On top of it, the frustrating defeat certainly played its part in sparking the fight. All in all, the entire scenario emphasized self-control as the reputation of the NBA star depends on his actions entirely.
