The rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors has been around for decades, with heated remarks sometimes coming from players and fans.
Recently, after a Golden State fan suggested that the Warriors should deliberately injure LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Lakers, Warriors forward Draymond Green quickly shot down the ill-advised plan.
The fact that Green is dismissing the absurd idea might come as a surprise to fans who have witnessed the veteran forward’s on-court antics. Yet the reality is that Green is a professional who has respect for both Lakers players.
Green and James have had a contentious history on the court, with their conflict during the 2016 NBA Finals the most memorable moment. In that instance, James’ actions led Green to throw a punch at him, which led to a one-game suspension and sparked the Cleveland Cavaliers to a stunning comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.
In the case of Green and Davis, no real history between the two players exists. That gives Green even less reason to spark a bitter response which could conceivably lead to retaliation toward him or one of his teammates.
The suggestions of fans should always be taken with a grain of salt, given that most concepts are formulated by emotion and not careful analysis. Green’s approach to effectively ignore one fan’s dumb brainstorm is best way to approach such situations.
