Kenyon Martin didn’t hold back on Draymond Green’s ejection from the Golden State Warriors‘ last matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 20.
In a heated rematch against the Suns at the Chase Center, Green got an ejection with 10:39 remaining in the second quarter. The events started when Green got a foul call after shoving Suns guard Collin Gillespie in the back following a block on the other end. Showing frustration towards the call, Green went off with complaints at the officiating crew.
The referees wasted no time, quickly assessing him with two technical fouls. Green went to the locker room, ending his night after just nine minutes of action as it marked his first ejection of the season.
Martin doubled down on his take that Green is a fake tough guy and that he’s basically overrated, with many players better than him. During an interview with Yahoo Sports, he is now using the latest ejection where Green shoved Suns guard Colin Gillespie as another sign that he’s a fake tough guy going after smaller players.
“Prime example of someone who doesn’t treat everyone the same. Who is selective to their approach to who they want to play that way with. The physicality is a part of the game, we know that. But I just think what I said before, I feel my personal opinion, when you are selective at picking on guys that are half your size and knowing that those guys aren’t going to do anything back to you, that’s probably if you look in the Webster, that’s probably the definition of it,” Martin said at the 4:09 mark.
What lies ahead for Draymond Green, Warriors
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Draymond Green has garnered a reputation as one of the most defensive players in the league. Kenyon Martin, who had that identity during his NBA career, believes that Green doesn’t have the same traits to be on that level.
Green is going through his 14th season in the league, all with the Warriors. He continues to stand out with high-quality defense and playmaking, averaging eight points, six rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.
Golden State has a 14-15 record on the season, holding the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings. They are 0.5 games above the Memphis Grizzlies and 1.5 games above the Portland Trail Blazers while trailing the Phoenix Suns by 1.5 games and Houston Rockets by 4.5 games.
The Warriors will gear up for their upcoming matchup, being at home. They host the Orlando Magic on Dec. 22 at 10 p.m. ET.