Friday’s Golden State Warriors vs. Charlotte Hornets game didn’t seem abnormal on paper, but things got extremely chippy at the end of the game. With 12 seconds left in the contest, the Hornets’ Miles Bridges was called for goaltending on layup by the Warriors’ Lester Quinones, putting Golden State up 97–84. That would prove to be the final score.
Bridges and Grant Williams took serious issue with the late attempt to score, despite there still being a differential between the game and shot clocks. That caused a fracas on the court as the clock was winding down on a comfortable Warriors win.
A slew of technical fouls were called, and Bridges, Quinones and Williams were all ejected.
Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports
Draymond Green is no stranger to moments like this on the court. After the game, he was asked about the situation, and called out Williams for trying to be a “tough guy,” something Green doesn’t believe suits him. He went so far as to say that the situation reflects why Williams was sent from the Dallas Mavericks to Charlotte ahead of the trade deadline.
“I don’t really understand why people get so mad with someone scoring at the end of the game. It’s like this dumb unofficial, unwritten rule,” Green said. “Everybody get mad like … if y’all were winning by 13 points would you get mad if he laid the ball up? I doubt it. So it’s kind of like a sore loser type thing.
“Grant Williams gotta stop it, man. Being this tough guy’s going absolutely wrong for him. He’s a really nice guy. And for some reason, he’s trying to jump on the unlikable side, and I must tell you it’s not always fun over here. it’s not always a good time. So, I don’t know man, he needs to figure it out. Because boy, talking too much kinda got you out of Dallas, like overdoing it. He over there talking too much now. He might want to slow down, stop all the tough guy stuff. You want to be the president of the [players association] and stuff, you can’t be out here doing all that stuff. You don’t see C.J. McCollum running around being a tough guy.
Draymond Green lights into Grant Williams after that late-game scuffle
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 24, 2024
“This tough guy (act) is going absolutely wrong for him. He’s a nice guy.”
“Talking too much is kinda what got you out of Dallas”
“Pray for Grant Williams” pic.twitter.com/tKJhsDJDLa
Green was clearly having fun on his soapbox, and had members of the press chuckling as he described his own experiences being a “tough guy.” He finished his lengthy answer with one final laugh line:
“Pray for Grant Williams.”
