“Some of the guys that be talking weren’t the guys that were punching people… Y’all were getting bullied” - Draymond Green throws shade at Cedric Maxwell, says he’s baffled by players from the '80s & '90s talking about physicality
Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors have been no strangers to criticism during their dynasty, and Green has a reputation for responding to critics.
Green recently responded to former celtics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Boston Celtics forward Cedric Maxwell, who complained about how Green plays basketball.
Green responded to Maxwell and any others who criticized modern physicality:
“One thing that baffles me about the ’80s or ’90s, when basketball was ‘so much more physical,’ is some of the guys that be talking weren’t the guys that were punching people. They act like guys were just walking about the court punching people."
In the '80s and '90s, several players found success by being enforcers. Enforcers increased the physicality and brutality on the court and were no strangers to punching people.
Golden State's veteran power forward/center credited some of the classic enforcers. However, he believes many of the other veterans who complained were not enforcers.
"There were a few guys back then that would lay you out, that would knock you out, that would foul you and get out of the game. Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, but everybody walking around acting like they were that. Y'all were getting bullied."
While getting bullied is a debatable interpretation, Green is correct that not everyone playing in the '80s and '90s were enforcers.
Maxwell did not have the reputation as the enforcer for the Celtics teams. That title went to M.L. Carr.
Green also pointed out that the reputation of a given era does not mean that every player in that era played that way.
“One thing that baffles me about the ’80s or ’90s when basketball was ‘so much more physical’ is some of the guys that be talking weren’t the guys that were punching people.”
Draymond with an incredible soundbite on Cedric Maxwell’s comment 🤣 https://t.co/TER27UC2uP
While Green's comments addressed Maxwell's criticism, they could be applied to many veteran players who criticize the modern game.
Cedric Maxwell's comments that led to Draymond Green's response
Former Boston Celtic Cedric Maxwell criticized Draymond Green while discussing the game with payton" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Gary Payton, the father of Warriors guard Gary Payton II.
The two veterans mentioned how they feel the modern game is different from when they played.
@CLNSMediaCeltics great Cedric Maxwell gave Gary Payton some good, old-fashioned trash talking after Game 2.
MAXWELL: "That s**t Draymond Green was doing? In the 80s he would've got knocked the f**k out!" 😳
🎥 @CLNSMedia https://t.co/5ZV2YPj8Sv
While Payton and Cedric Maxwell won NBA championships in their careers, neither was an enforcer.
There is still some debate about the physicality of the modern game versus today, but Maxwell and Payton were not the most physical players.
Still, they played alongside players with a reputation as enforcers who would be more than willing to get physical with Green.
While Green mentioned that the enforcers of the era would have done something to him, he believes they would have bullied Maxwell, too.