"I need to talk to Rudy Gobert": Draymond Green says he's heading to France to watch gold medal showdown between Team USA and France
Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert locked horns in the Tokyo Olympics for the gold medal. Team USA eventually won the matchup against France 87-82 behind the MVP performance of Kevin Durant. However, Green didn’t make it to the squad competing in Paris this year.
If Green wants to be at the Bercy Arena for the gold medal rematch, he will have to go to the arena as a fan. In his eponymous podcast with guest Baron Davis, the Golden State Warriors star said:
“I’m going. No, straight up, I’m going. I need to talk to Rudy Gobert. I’m this close to wearing both of my gold medals.”
Davis suggested that if Green goes out of his way to be in Paris for that game, he might as well sit behind the French bench. “BD” said that if the Dubs forward decides to do that, it would be “epic” and would be “the second storyline" in the gold medal game.
Draymond Green had already taken a shot at Rudy Gobert a few days ago when France beat Canada in the quarter-finals. Les Bleus coach Vincent Collet benched the Minnesota Timberwolves star for nearly the entire game. Gobert had a three-minute cameo appearance in his team’s win.
Gobert later told the media that he sat out because of surgery on his finger. Collet spoke to the same reporters and gave “matchups” as the issue for the big man’s limited minutes.
Green said this after “The Stifle Tower” hardly played:
“To be taken out of the lineup on any other team in the Olympics as an NBA player, not named Team USA is kind of crazy”
Basketball fans will be watching if they can spot Green behind the France bench on Sunday.
Draymond Green once choked Rudy Gobert
Draymond Green has been salty towards Rudy Gobert for years. “Dray” has taken shots at the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner for his issues in the postseason. On a few occasions, he has mocked Gobert’s NBA resume.
Green’s animosity toward Gobert eventually boiled over in November last year in a game between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. After a scuffle ensued between Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels, Gobert rushed to the scene to separate them.
Draymond Green later explained that he took issue with Rudy Gobert for putting his hands on Thompson. The fans couldn’t believe it when Green put Gobert in a headlock, forcing players and the coaching staff from both teams to pry the Frenchman loose.
The NBA suspended Green for five games for the incident but showed no remorse. Leading into his reinstatement, he said to ESPN:
“I don’t live my life with regrets. I’ll come to a teammate’s defense any time that I’m in a position to come to a teammate’s defense.
The gold medal game in France will be even more dramatic if Draymond Green sits behind the French bench to troll Rudy Gobert.