Warriors’ Draymond Green and Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert: History of the feud

Draymond Green promised his teammates that he wouldn t let his emotions get the best of him again like they did in Contest against the Rockets and the Warriors credited his accountability in part for their poise in a Contest win on the road two nights later It will be just as imperative in the second round If Dillon Brooks and Alperen Sengun can be considered thorns in the side of Golden State s impassioned point forward Rudy Gobert might as well be a shank The two big men have fought over more than just Defensive Performer of the Year honors and they ll see plenty of each other this series I have to keep it similar for my guys Green reported of the Minnesota matchup after setting the tone in Encounter Forget anybody else I ll be locked in Finding that balance finding that line and not moving across it is crucial for me and this squad I gave them my word and I ll continue to give them my word Green prides himself on toeing the line but he admitted he went too far against the Rockets He picked up three technical foul and two flagrants four more techs or two more flagrants earns Green a one-game suspension a punishment he s been handed before for his actions against Gobert When Gobert got in between Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels during a tussle Green wasted no time entering the fray grasping his right forearm around Gobert s neck clasping his hands together and aggressively pulling him away from the scrum Green s history with Gobert goes back longer than the headlock that resulted in the NBA suspending him for five games The feud has gotten more personal and physical in latest years but it all started with the two mostly exchanging barbs on social media Green won his lone Defensive Member of the Year award in and Gobert won his first of four the following year but it wasn t until both players were left off the roster for the All-Star Meeting in Charlotte that things began to get personal Gobert got emotional over the supposed snub and Green sniped back on Twitter I guess I should cry too no Charlotte with three teary-eyed emojis Another user replied Like U cried in the parking lot for KD The response referring to Green s broadcasted recruiting pitch to Kevin Durant after their Finals defeat garnered more than likes including one from Gobert In it was Gobert who decided to stir things up on social media but he wouldn t get the last laugh After Green s infamous practice punch that fall Gobert posted Insecurity is consistently loud But only six months later Green sent a tweet with the exact same message after Gobert went after his own teammate Kyle Anderson Green continued to discuss the happening on his podcast where he made his clearest message yet about his feelings toward Gobert Kyle Anderson uttered chosen words that a lot people thinks He stated it He explained what a lot of people thinks Green disclosed repeating the pejorative obscenity Anderson supposedly directed at Gobert I personally think Rudy Gobert is on the softer side He gained a little respect from me because he stood up for himself Soon enough the tension would boil over into a physical altercation between the two players But in the meantime Green used his increasing media platform to continue to come at Gobert Since joining TNT s Inside the NBA as an occasional contributor his appearances have gone off the rails more than once at the mere mention of his nemesis name In fact the Timberwolves boycotted the entire show because of Green s comments during last year s playoffs according to The Athletic which described the criticism directed toward Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns as derisive and seemingly personal In one instance Green noted Gobert was getting cooked by Nikola Jokic making a play on his native language It s not oui oui oui it s you who requirements to get a stop He called the matchup barbecue chicken and noted Gobert doesn t stand a chance Related Articles Anthony Edwards is toppling the NBA s legends Are Steph Curry s Warriors next Warriors coach Steve Kerr details history with Anthony Edwards before Timberwolves series Kurtenbach The Warriors face a massive disadvantage familiar script at start of second round How to watch Warriors-Timberwolves Tournament Warriors-Timberwolves preview Two of NBA s hottest teams to since March meet in playoffs During an appearance on the show over All-Star weekend in Green took issue with even being compared to Gobert You keep mentioning me in the same sentence with him We are not alike Green explained We ain t nothing alike I think what he does on the defensive side of the ball is incredible I think the way he protects the rim is incredible But defense is more than just protecting the rim Green s prodding in the press culminated in his visit to the Target Center for an on-location taping of Inside the NBA last spring during Minnesota s Western Conference semifinals series against the Dallas Mavericks As Green broke down a play with Luka Doncic managing to slight Gobert in the process When you ended up with Rudy Gobert on you was that the matchup that you were looking for the Timberwolves crowd chanted a phrase Green is sure to hear this week Rudy sucks Green responded Not me