It wouldn’t be an NBA season if Draymond Green weren’t involved in some sort of on-court controversy. On Monday night, the Warriors veteran got into a bit with Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama. Emotions flared, but didn’t exceed any lines outside of basketball. Green, however, has been happy to share his feelings about Aldama publicly.
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Over the years, the Warriors and the Grizzlies have built a bit of a rivalry. The two teams met in the second round of the 2022 NBA playoffs and have since gone toe-to-toe in every matchup. Although the rosters have significantly changed since that battle, the energy remains the same.
In Monday night’s game, the Warriors held a comfortable lead over the Grizzlies for most of the second half. Regardless, Memphis didn’t show any signs of quitting. With less than 3:50 remaining in the third quarter, Aldama had a clear path to the basket. In an effort to prevent an easy layup, Green grabbed Aldama over the head.
The 6-foot-11 forward was on the ground for quite some time, grimacing in pain. Eventually, the officials promoted the foul to a flagrant foul 1. Aldama received two free throws along with possession of the ball. However, Aldama would go on to miss both attempts. Green ensured to clown the Grizzlies forward afterwards.
Draymond Green gets tagged with a flagrant foul and he can’t believe it.
Santi Aldama misses both free throws, Draymond starts dancing around the court, and Chase Center goes CRAZY! pic.twitter.com/rIgphvvEfD
— KNBR (@KNBR) October 28, 2025
Green wasn’t a fan of the flagrant foul, which explains his exasperated gestures. But that wasn’t enough for the four-time NBA champion; he felt the need to speak on the situation as well.
“He’s a guy who always talks,” Green said on his podcast. “He likes to mix it up, and I’m all for mixing it up. What I don’t like is guys that talk and act like they want to mix up, and then you get a little baby foul and you fall, grabbing your neck like you did.”
Safe to say, Green doesn’t approve of Aldama’s reaction to the foul. He then went on to provide a great anecdote to sum up how he feels about Aldama and those who engage in similar antics.
“It’s almost like you just sold your soul for two free throws,” Green proclaimed. “He made a complete clown of himself. And I made a complete clown of him when he missed them two free throws.”
As much as it may hurt Grizzlies fans to admit, Green did get the last laugh in that contest. The Warriors went on to win by a score of 131-118. These teams will face off again on February 9, which will again be must-watch television.
