Back in 2018, tempers flared between NBA legend Charles Barkley and Warriors star Draymond Green. During Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the New Orleans Pelicans, Green had a heated exchange with Rajon Rondo. This spawned from a rough play that saw Green get tangled up with Anthony Davis.
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Rondo and Green nearly locked horns but calmer heads prevailed and the situation was deescalated. This didn’t stop Barkley from criticizing the ever hot-headed Draymond. In his fit of rage, the ’93 MVP claimed somebody should punch him in the face.
“I just want somebody to punch him in the face,” said Chuck. He would go on to reiterate the same but instead insert himself in as that ‘somebody’ seconds later. “I’m just telling you, I wanna punch his a** in the face.”
Chuck was being himself: raw, unfiltered, and often controversial. But this time, he said something about a man who wasn’t scared to get his hands dirty. Understandably, Green clapped back at Barkley, and he ended up apologizing.
He said, “What I said was inappropriate. I would never punch an NBA player. I meant what I said, but I would never punch an NBA player.” The apology seemed half-hearted. Chuck seemingly showed little to no remorse for his comment against Green; he simply generalized it and said that he’d never punch an NBA player.
Stephen Curry was unhappy about the whole situation, but he had a more personal issue with Chuck’s apology. While speaking on the topic shortly after the incident, Curry joked that his mother, Sonya Curry, would’ve slapped him if he ever apologized in that way.
He said, “When I was growing up, and I said something where I was in the wrong, my mom wanted me to apologize…If I said, ‘I’m sorry, but I still meant it,’ I would’ve gotten slapped in the face.”
Given Steph’s regimented upbringing, it’s no surprise that he used this as the perfect analogy to sum up why Sir Charles’ apology wasn’t received all too well by Green and the Warriors.
Steph may have kept things lighthearted while talking about Chuck’s comment and apology but Draymond had a more heated response. The Warriors veteran said, “He’s seen me a million times. If he feels that strongly about it, then punch me in my face when you see me. If you’re not going to punch me in my face when you see me, then shut up.”
Draymond Green with a strong response to Charles Barkley saying he would punch him in the face pic.twitter.com/tBLRAei3zW
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 2, 2018
It’s been seven years since Barkley and Green indulged in this banter over something that shouldn’t have been an issue to begin with. However, they’ve moved past their differences and are now on great terms. In recent years, Barkley and Draymond Green have shared laughs and screen time together, most notably on Inside the NBA. They’ve even called the All-Star Game together, showing that past friction has turned into mutual respect.
