A Draymond Green Charles Barkley quip is making the rounds on social media, and the former is getting patted on the back for his alleged mic-drop moment. The issue with his comment is that it completely misses the mark, and the only people who think it was a slam incapable of coming back from are zennials, unfamiliar with the context of the quote.
Yesterday on Inside the NBA, Green filled in for Shaquille O’Neal on the set, and at one point, fielded questions about his future and the future of the Golden State Warriors. Barkley suggested the Warriors run is over, and if any of the players on the team, including Green and future Hall of Famer Steph Curry, wanted to win again, it would have to be for another franchise.
“No disrespect. It is for every old team. You have your run, you get old. Y’all let Klay (Thompson) go. You and Steph are on the back ends of your careers. Y’all had one of the greatest runs ever. You’re not in the playoffs. You think you’re going to get healthier for next year? You’re just going to get older.” – Charles Barkley to Draymond Green
Barkley truly meant no disrespect to Green, Curry, or the Warriors. It was his way of saying that Father Time is undefeated. That’s a quote that no one gets angry about or takes personally. It’s a fact in every sport. Green is not the average athlete, though, and he has a history of publicly displaying thick skin about criticism. Yesterday was no different. Unable to defeat Father Time, Green took aim at the Round Mound of Rebound.
“I think the goal is just to not look like you in the Houston Rockets uniform.” – Draymond Green to Charles Barkley
Draymond Green Charles Barkley Comparison
It’s clear what Green was trying to say, which is that nobody wants to look like they hung around the league too long. Some players who did, and did it for other teams, looked terrible and terribly out of place when doing so. Hakeem Olajuwon on the Toronto Raptors, Robert Parrish on the Chicago Bulls, and Chris Paul on each of his last three teams (Warriors included) come to mind. The issue with Green’s comments is that Barkley does not belong on that list for his Rockets years.
From 1996-97 through the 1999-00 seasons, Barkley played 183 games, averaging 16.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.4 turnovers per game. While his scoring was below his prime numbers, the rebounds were more than he averaged for the Philadelphia 76ers or Phoenix Suns, and his turnovers were fewer. He shot a respectable 48.2% from the field during his tenure in Houston as well. He may not have been driving the bus, but he wasn’t just a passenger either.
Even funnier, and more to the point, is that Barkley’s numbers for the Rockets dwarf not only Green’s career numbers, but the best numbers of his career. Hitting his prime circa 2015-16, the current bad boy of basketball finished that season averaging 14.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. He shot 49% from the field that year. Basically, the only thing he did better than a Rockets’ version of Barkley was pass to players who are better scorers than he is.
Green’s career numbers are practically a joke in comparison, sitting at 8.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 44.7% shooting. Draymond may not want to look like Houston’s version of Barkley, but the Warriors would give anything to make it true. Green’s current skill set is so abysmal that not only would Golden State package an unprotected first-round pick to the 1999 Rockets for a 36-year-old Barkley, but the 63-year-old current version of the all-time great could probably put up the same numbers Green did last season.
