OAKLAND, Calif. — The B-word is off limits to The King.
TV replays showed Draymond Green uttering the word “B—-” during his trash-talk showdown with LeBron James on Friday during an extended incident that ultimately cost the Warriors forward a chance to play in Monday’s potential Finals-clinching Game 5.
Green was suspended for Game 5 after accumulating his fourth flagrant foul point of the postseason — which carries with it a one-game ban — after his altercation with James.
According to ESPN, James responded to Green by saying he was “the father of three kids and a man.’’ “You’re still a b—-,” Green reportedly retorted. And that apparently caused James to go ballistic.
After Friday’s contest, James said at his press conference: “Draymond just said something that I don’t agree with. I’m all cool with the competition. I’m all fine with that, but some of the words that came out of his mouth were a little bit overboard. Being a guy with pride, a guy with three kids and a family, things of that nature, some things just go overboard, and that’s where he took it, and that was it.”
If that’s the only word that got James so hot, it’s understandable why Klay Thompson chided James, calling him out for being oversensitive.
“I guess he just got his feelings hurt,’’ Thompson said.
The Warriors were livid because James stepped over Green after pulling him to the court, instigating the whole episode, then lobbying afterward for disciplinary action. Green stood up and took a swipe at James’ groin area.
James laughed in disgust and said he’d take “the high road’’ regarding Thompson’s dig. The circus continued when Stephen Curry’s wife, Ayesha, responded to James’ comment by tweeting: “High Road. invisible bridge used to step over said person when open floor is available left to right.”
Green was not allowed into Oracle Arena on Monday, but NBA sources said he would be permitted in to celebrate if the Warriors won the title. The NBA would fine Green an undetermined amount, according to a league source, if he sneaks inside the building during the game. Though teammate Shaun Livingston said, “He should just take the fine,’’ Green instead planned to watch the contest from the baseball stadium next door, where the A’s were hosting the Rangers.
Green missed just one game this season despite all his shenanigans, and the Warriors lost. If the Warriors were to blow a 3-1 lead, Green would wear some goat horns for putting himself in this position, knowing he was one flagrant-foul point away from suspension. But all his teammates stuck up for him.
Green missed just one game this season despite all his shenanigans, and the Warriors lost. If the Warriors were to blow a 3-1 lead, Green would wear some goat horns for putting himself in this position, knowing he was one flagrant-foul point away from suspension. But all his teammates stuck up for him.
“It’s hard to tell a player like Draymond to switch it off,’’ Warriors center Andrew Bogut said. “Risk vs. reward. One game every hundred. We’ll take it. We’ll take that emotion and energy for 99 games. And that one game, if he gets suspended, you don’t want him to get suspended but you might not get the other 99.’’
Warriors coach Steve Kerr had been masterful in using his depth in this series, trotting out James Michael McAdoo in Game 4 after not playing him all playoff.
“It’s the model we’ve had the last few years — Strength in Numbers,’’ said Andre Iguodala, repeating the team motto. “You don’t look for one guy to try to pick up the slack. You look for 14 guys.’’
Green was not available for comment Sunday, when the suspension was handed down. In his diary for ESPN, Green wrote about James’ stepover: “I felt like that was disrespectful. I don’t disrespect you on the court. Don’t disrespect me. There’s no love lost. It’s a battle out there. I’m going to battle with whoever it is.’’
He’s been battling to the limits all playoffs, starting in the first round, when he threw down the Rockets’ Michael Beasley for his first flagrant foul. Green kicked Steve Adams in the groin for a Flagrant foul 2 that put him at three points. He got the magical No. 4 by going after the King’s jewels.