Draymond Green isn’t always the most likable player on the floor. He’s built a reputation on chaos, on blurring lines, and playing right on the edge of what’s acceptable, both physically and emotionally.
He’s barked at referees, jawed at opponents, and picked up more technicals than most can count. But even in a career that thrives on tension, there are moments that stretch the bounds of what any player — and, more importantly, what any family should be forced to absorb.
Going too far
The 2022 NBA Finals offered no shortage of fireworks, but Game 3 in Boston pushed things to a bitter place. TD Garden, a venue already infamous for its volatile playoff energy, turned into something uglier when it zeroed in on Green. The chants were venomous. “F**k you, Draymond,” rang out over and over. And in the middle of it sat a child. His child.
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“This sweet and innocent little guy, and he’s got to sit there and watch as his dad gets cussed out by 20,000 drunk fans,” said Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “People don’t think of it on those terms, like when you’re watching from the outside. I do think it rattled Draymond a little bit because that’s pretty extreme.”
When Golden State stepped into TD Garden for Game 3, they walked into a hostile environment. Still, few anticipated just how personal it would get. From the opening tip, Boston fans unleashed their fury on Green, and it never let up. With every foul, every interaction, the volume grew. What should have been a competitive showcase quickly took on the tone of a public stoning.
And it showed. Dray, who had been at the center of the series’ early scuffles, unraveled under the spotlight. He finished the night with just two points and four rebounds, fouling out with over four minutes left in the fourth quarter.
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Golden State, which had clawed back from double-digit deficits in the second halves of both previous games, couldn’t close the gap this time. The Celtics, riding a wave of crowd energy and executing with poise, claimed a 116-100 win and a 2-1 series lead.
At that moment, the talk around the Dubs forward stopped being about basketball. It shifted into something else entirely — about dignity, about limits, about the human cost of what fans label as “passion.”
Green’s flaws have never been hidden. He’s a throwback to the rougher edges of the NBA, a player who thrives in conflict and sometimes invites it. But the sight of his young son bearing witness to that volume of vitriol peeled back a different layer.
Green getting the win
Kerr, who’s seen the former Spartan at his highest and lowest, knew the moment had cut deeper than most. He had to respond in the best way possible, which was on the court.
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“It happens occasionally, and I thought Draymond handled it well,” Kerr said. “He played well in the last few games of the series and bounced back in a really big way.”
The Warriors would go on to win the Finals in six games, claiming their fourth championship in eight years. It was a title built on resiliency, and Green, criticized, cussed at, and cast as the villain, was central to that spine.
His numbers — averaging 6.2 points, 8 rebounds and 6.2 assists — across the series may not have jumped off the page. Still, his defensive presence and emotional pulse mattered when the lights were brightest.
