One of the stalwarts for the Golden State Warriors over the years has been Draymond Green. He has been the defensive anchor, succeeding thanks to his versatility and skill set. There is an argument that Green's versatility was a key factor in the Warriors' becoming a dynasty. Still, he has earned a reputation as dirty over the years and recently turned the tables on European players.
Green's intensity defines him, and that intensity has shown on the court over the years. However, Green rejected that label and instead said that he thinks European players are dirty. He was on “The Draymond Green Show” talking about Pelle Larsson and how he got into it with DeMar DeRozan and Devin Booker recently. He said that European players in general do little dirty stuff, while claiming that he will “f—you up,” but is not dirty.
“I’ve played against a bunch of Europeans,” Green said. “They do little dirty stuff. People get mad at me and are like, ‘Ah, Draymond is dirty.’ I told ya’ll, Draymond is not dirty. Draymond will f—you up. I’m not dirty. I don’t do dirty things. There’s not a player in the NBA who can tell you Draymond is a dirty player. There are a lot of Europeans who do dirty stuff on the basketball court.”
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Green's claims are definitely bold, given that he has been under fire from both fans and the NBA itself for his past actions. His most famous incident was hitting LeBron James below the belt during the NBA Finals, resulting in a suspension. The Cavaliers would go on to win the Finals in seven games.
Then, he was suspended one game in 2023 after stomping on Domantas Sabonis' chest in the first round of the playoffs. Then, in the most recent incident, Green got into a fight with Rudy Gobert and put him in a headlock, resulting in a five-game suspension.
It is interesting for Green to go after the European players because he is not the first person to say that about them in the NBA, and how they act.