Draymond Green has made it clear he has a lot of respect for Ja Morant, but Green won’t ever shy away from putting the Memphis Grizzlies star in check.
After Morant told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he isn’t concerned about any team in the Western Conference, Green responded on the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show.”
“I know everybody wanted to hear what I have to say about Ja’s take,” Green began. “I think you all know how I feel about that. I got a lot of love and respect for Ja -- young leader that makes his guys believe whatever he believes, and that’s a very powerful thing as a leader. He got that. He’s had it since day one and you could see it glaringly noticeable since the time he stepped foot in Memphis.
“I’m not sure he can quite make his guys believe that one, which is, ‘I’m fine in the West.’ You are fine, Ja. You are. But the Warriors [are] in the West now, champ. So yes, you are fine, Ja. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, that’s a topic for another day.”
The back-and-forth between both teams goes back to last year’s Western Conference Semifinals in the Warriors and Grizzlies' six-game dogfight. But even after the series concluded with Golden State coming out on top, the chatter and Twitter fingers continued.
For Morant and the Grizzlies, any game against the Warriors will be played with a vengeance.
"Obviously, it's the team that kicked us out of the playoffs, so you know, we always want to get our lick back," Morant told Andrews. "Everybody knows what Golden State means to the game of basketball these last couple years. They're the defending champs.”
Golden State Warriors
On Christmas Day, the two teams met for the first time since the West semifinals -- and the highly-anticipated matchup did not disappoint. Players on both sides brought the energy that was expected from tip-off to the final buzzer.
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Even with Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins sidelined due to injuries, the Warriors were the better team once again and gifted Dub Nation a 123-109 Christmas Day win at Chase Center.
Despite all the on and off-court drama, though, both teams have maintained there is no rivalry between the two. Whatever it is, players and fans can feel it.
Expect another explosive clash when the Warriors and Grizzlies go at it again in a few weeks as Golden State hosts Morant and Co. at Chase Center on Jan. 25.