"We are not alike"- Draymond Green takes it as a sign of disrespect after NBA on TNT crew compares him to 3-time DPOY Rudy Gobert
Draymond Green was having none of it when the NBA on TNT crew, featuring Shaquille O'Neal and Co., compared the Golden State Warriors star to reigning DPOY Rudy Gobert. Green, who works part-time with TNT as an analyst, was on sideline-reporting duties during the 2022 NBA All-Star game on Sunday.
The 31-year-old was voted in as a reserve but couldn't play due to injury in what could have been his fourth All-Star game appearance. The TNT crew happened to compare Gobert and Green during their interaction with the latter during the All-Star game showdown. Green was quick to shut down those talks, saying (via The NBA Central):
“You keep mentioning me in the same sentence with him. We’re not alike... We ain’t nothing alike.”
Draymond Green doesn’t want Rudy Gobert mentioned in the same convo as him 😳 https://t.co/N3y113ZMRt
Interestingly, Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert both happened to be on Team Durant for this year's All-Star game. The former's injury replacement, Dejounte Murray, was drafted by Kevin Durant.
Not the first time Draymond Green took a dig at Rudy Gobert
Draymond Green hasn't been a fan of Rudy Gobert for the longest time. He first took a swipe at the Utah Jazz big man in 2019 when Gobert cried on national TV after not being voted in as an All-Star. Green took to Twitter to express his disappointment at Gobert's emotional rant.
Here's what he posted:
I guess I should cry too... no Charlotte? 😢😢😢
Green missed out on making four All-Star appearances in a row that year, taunting Gobert and asking if he should cry about being snubbed as well.
Green didn't hesitate in bringing that up when the NBA on TNT crew announced his nomination as an All-Star reserve for this year a few weeks ago. Kenny Smith asked him a question about a player not reacting well to an All-Star snub, to which the Warriors star responded by saying:
“One thing I can assure you, if I didn’t make it this year I wasn’t gonna cry. 100 percent assure you that,” Green said. “It has to be Rudy. The man cried on national television when he didn’t make the All-Star team. Thank god he’s made the next three.”
"You can't cry, Chuck" 😅
@Money23Green really called out Gobert when @TheJetonTNT asked which player has had the worst reaction to being a All-Star snub. https://t.co/eW5wJgGzNy
It will be an interesting showdown the next time Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert go head-to-head. That could be a possibility during the playoffs as well. The Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz are strong favorites to finish in the top four of the Western Conference standings.