Home Columns Draymond Green definitively ends war of words with Charles Barkley

Draymond Green definitively ends war of words with Charles Barkley

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Little over two years ago, the friction between Charles Barkley and Draymond Green was palpable, as their war of words continued to play out in the media. The 11x NBA All Star and 1993 NBA MVP was a frequent critic of the Golden State Warriors star, even saying “I want to punch his ass in the face” during one TNT halftime broadcast in 2018.

Along with expressing his distaste for the attitude of Green, there was regularly criticism of his performances for the Warriors from Chuck, who famously roasted the 3x NBA champions after a poor showing against the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2020. “He had his normal triple single” said Barkley with disdain, after Green had reacted badly to a technical foul and was ejected from the game.

But this wasn’t one-way traffic between the two iconic basketball personalities, with Green regularly reacting to the criticism and firing back, taking shots at the former player and TNT analyst. In one appearance on the Showtime podcast ‘All The Smoke’ in April 2020, Green belittled what Barkley had achieved throughout his own career. “He never won shit” said Green, before comparing his own success to that of Barkley.

“Charles Barkley has had this beef with me since I started coming up in this league. It’s always him throwing a shot,” insisted Green. “Honestly, it’s jealousy. It’s jealousy that someone the same as him or smaller can come in the league and have the success I’ve had, made the money I’ve made, win the championships I’ve won. These are all things that Charles Barkley wasn’t able to do,” concluded Green.

Arguably, words were perhaps the most hurtful in this exchanged between past and present stars, which continued with each sniping at the other in what became an ongoing saga. Barkley had continually mocked how the 3x NBA champion was playing, particularly during the frustrating 2019-20 season, claiming he didn’t do enough as the Warriors tanked when Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were both injured.

Chuck refused to let up regarding a player who clearly annoyed him, rarely if ever having anything positive to say about the Warriors man during his TNT analysis, while Green was always happy to remind his antagonist about never having won the championship. During the 2020 NBA Bubble in Orlando, fireworks were expected when Barkley and Green shared screen time on TV. There were some exchanges, although both claimed there was no beef.

In fact, it was all smiles when Draymond and Chuck next appeared together, as ‘The Arena’ NBA on TNT show debuted in July 2020. They openly talked about the feud, each pointing out what had annoyed them about the other, acknowledging their differences and expressing their feelings. This inevitably healed the rift between the pair, as Green and Barkley patched up the wounds to develop a relationship built upon genuine respect.

Since then everything has been peachy between the two former enemies. “If you don’t like Charles Barkley after meeting him, then something’s wrong with you,” Green told The Athletic with sincerity, when invited to discuss Chuck’s appearance amongst the best 75 players in NBA history. Likewise, there has been less criticism from Barkley about Green’s level of performance, although it probably helps now the Warriors are looking strong again.

Only the Phoenix Suns, one of Barkley’s former teams from 1992 to 1996, has registered better numbers than the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Western Conference standings. Klay Thompson has now made his long-awaited return to action, Stephen Curry has been on fire throughout the regular season campaign, while Draymond Green has also been in excellent form, albeit with some injury frustrations of late.

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Thanks to Barkley and Green having publicly resolved their differences, the latter can focus on getting the job done for his team and without unwanted criticism ringing in his ears. Meanwhile, there might even me more words of praise from Chuck to back him along, which is a stark contrast to the enmity shared between these two popular NBA figures, not so long ago.

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