Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has addressed his ejection during a recent game against the Phoenix Suns, attributing his intensity to a "short-man complex" and clarifying his ongoing rivalry with Dillon Brooks. Green was ejected from the Warriors’ 116-113 win on Monday night after grabbing Brooks by the collar of his jersey. The altercation began when Green took down Suns player Khaman Maluach.
Brooks, who was trying to de-escalate the situation according to his post-game comments, was then confronted by Green. "He was talking. He came in talking. Putting his chest on my shoulder. That ain’t how you de-escalate," Green told reporters on Thursday. "So I just wish he stood on the type of business he was on, instead of running to y’all. Like, ‘I was trying to de-escalate!’ No you wasn’t, bro."
Green acknowledged that he "had started to turn a corner" in his view of Brooks, but Brooks' actions in the incident rekindled Green's initial impressions. "The words you said on the side of me and walking up to me like that," Green said. "When you’re de-escalating you usually go to your teammate. But your teammate’s there [on the ground]. So you’re not de-escalating anything."
The incident, which earned Green two technical fouls, ultimately seemed to galvanize the Warriors, who rallied for a comeback win. Green, listed at 6-foot-6, described his competitive drive as stemming from a need to overcome physical disadvantages. "You’ve heard of people having short man complex? What’s it called–Napoleon? I got a little bit of that when I’m playing basketball," Green said. "Because I’m always smaller than the guys I’m going up against."
He explained that this perception fuels his aggressive style. "I’m usually outweighed by anywhere from 20 to 60 pounds. I’m usually outsized from a height perspective, anywhere from 5 to Wemby,” Green said. “With that, In order to do what I do, you have to have that certain nastiness to you. … I have to have that tenacity. There’s certain things you cannot allow to happen because if you allow it to happen the next game you play, it’s gonna happen again. Somebody’s gonna try it again.”
This mindset, Green suggested, compelled him to send a message by taking down Maluach. Brooks' subsequent intervention and Green's reaction reignited their long-standing rivalry, which dates back to their matchups during the 2022 Western Conference semifinals.