Why Did Draymond Green Yell ‘Rudy Sucks’? 5 Instances When Warriors Star Berated 4x DPOY

The history of the NBA is filled with some of the most iconic sports rivalries ever. The 80s had Larry Bird pitted against Magic Johnson, while the ’90s saw Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan often engaging in a cutthroat competition against Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas. In some situations, these rivalries intensify at such a level that it’s hard for one player not to speak out about the other all the time. A similar feud has been going on for several years between Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green and Minnesota Timberwolves Center Rudy Gobert.

Draymond Green has been starring as a host in the popular ‘Inside the NBA’ show for the past couple of days. At the same time, the Dallas Mavericks successfully established a 2-0 record against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the ongoing Western Conference Finals. While covering the recent matchup within the Target Center in Minnesota, attendees, who were aware of Green’s presence, proceeded to shout “Draymond Sucks” in a booming voice. The chanting didn’t stop even when the game was over and the crew was in the midst of a live interview with Mavericks lead scorer Luka Doncic. At this point, the Warriors star felt that enough was enough and that a response needed to be given out.

“Rudy (Gobert) sucks, not me” said Green wittingly. “What did I do?”

Draymond Green’s “Rudy sucks” remark had a deeper meaning behind it. During the final 12.1 seconds of Game 2, the Timberwolves were leading by a score of 108-106. The ball was in Doncic’s possession, and Rudy Gobert was positioned to block the player from scoring. As the clock ticked down, Doncic kept swaying left to right, looking for an opening. With just 5 seconds remaining, Gobert had given the Slovenian player what he was looking for. He shot the ball from outside the paint and successfully added three points to the Mavericks’ total. The Timberwolves could not recover, and the game ended with them losing by 108-109.

Given that Rudy Gobert could have prevented Doncic from scoring, Green was entirely sure who was to blame for being a ‘sucky’ player. Timberwolves fans have reportedly never held Draymond Green in high regard. Plus, their alleged hatred for him only increased back in November, when the power forward put Gobert in a chokehold during the midst of a heated argument. This is why the chants of “Draymond sucks” dominated the arena, even when the player was not playing.

Has Draymond Green ever berated Rudy Gobert before?

As mentioned above, Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert are not exactly the best of pals. In the 11 years they have been on opposite teams, the duo have competed against each other to secure the Defensive Player of the Year title under their name. Green has only received the honor once, while his rival has taken home the trophy during four tournaments, including the ongoing 2023-24 one. Due to this, the Warriors player is often on the lookout for moments where the 31-year-old slips up. And when he does, Green makes sure that those moments remain memorable.

Draymond Green uses a Nikola Jokic-Chris Paul record to roast Rudy Gobert

Before the “Rudy sucks” remark, Draymond Green’s latest criticism of the Timberwolves center occurred barely a few days ago. The Denver Nuggets had just recorded their third consecutive win against Gobert and Co. during the second round of the playoffs. Nikola Jokić, the team’s lead scorer, had scored 40 points, 7 rebounds, and 13 assists. This score helped Jokic establish history, as he became only the second NBA player to score over 40 points and 10 assists with zero turnovers. The first person to have recorded this stat was Chris Paul back in 2018. When the feat was being discussed amongst the ‘Inside the NBA’ crew, Green did not choose to squander the opportunity that was presented to him.

“There’s an interesting thing about this stat, though,” said the Warriors’ power forward. “You know what’s interesting about it? When Chris Paul had those numbers, there was a common denominator. It was the Rudy Gobert-led Jazz.”

Through this remark, Green gave a double roast to Rudy Gobert by belittling him for not defending the Serbian player properly and highlighting his defensive play from over eight games ago. While Green’s co-hosts opted to defend Gobert, Shaq chose to go the other way by sarcastically stating, “He (Gobert) probably won Defensive Player that year too”.

Draymond Green allegedly uses Rudy Gobert’s French Heritage against them

The Nikola Jokić-Chris Paul ‘common denominator’ was not the only thing that Draymond Green used to criticize the French player. He also asked him to take a leaf out of his teammate’s book and step up.

“The big Frenchman (Gobert) is sitting on that podium, speaking his native language …….. ‘we, we, we (oui, oui, oui) need to do this‘ …. you, you, you need to get a stop. It ain’t ‘we’” said Green. “Karl-Anthony Towns is actually doing a pretty good job when he’s on Joker. It’s you, my man, that’s getting cooked.”

Draymond Green goes after Rudy Gobert for missing important game due to child’s birth

As May began, the Timberwolves were in the early stages of their competition against the Denver Nuggets. At the same time, Rudy Gobert and his girlfriend, Julia Bonilla, were expecting their first child. The couple’s son, Roméo, was born on the 6th of May, 2024. A day later would be the second playoff game between the rival teams. Instead of making himself available for the same, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year reportedly chose to opt out and spend the time with his wife and newborn son. This action was not something that Draymond Green agreed with.

“I was a little sceptical [of the Timberwolves] starting the game off because Rudy was going to miss the game,” said Green during an episode of ‘The Draymond Green Show’. “I just felt like …. I’m a father of four, I love my kids and I love my wife, but she’s going to have to hold off for me just a few more hours for a playoff game. Me, personally”.

Green extended his congratulations to the newborn father. At the same time, however, he allegedly stated that the game should never be taken “for granted”.

Draymond Green spoke up after Rudy Gobert punched a teammate

In 2023, after Gobert became part of the Timberwolves, the player was caught arguing with teammate Kyle Anderson amid a game. It all culminated in Gobert punching Anderson on the arm. Before things could worsen, the rest of the roster had separated the two players.

The Warriors star once again went to social media and wrote, “Insecurity is always loud…”. Rudy Gobert put up the exact quote back in 2022 when it was reported that Green had punched his teammate Jordan Poole during a practice session.

Rudy Gobert allegedly cried after All-Star Snub gave Draymond Green ammunition

During the 2018-19 season, Rudy Gobert, who was in his sixth year with the NBA, was once again denied the chance to be a part of an All-Star team. During a press conference, the player highlighted his dissatisfaction with the decision. He even brought out a few tears as the emotions got to him. Draymond Green, who had also been left out of an All-Star selection, was quick to react. Taking to his official X (then Twitter) account, he wrote “I guess I should cry too… no Charlotte?”

Green would not forget the incident easily. Years later, when appearing as a guest on ‘Inside the NBA’, he proceeded to state, “One thing I can assure you: If I didn’t make it this year, I wasn’t going to cry. I can 100 percent assure you that. I mean, the man cried on national television when he didn’t make the All-Star team”.

What are your thoughts on the Draymond Green-Rudy Gobert feud? Let us know in the comments down below.

If you wish to know more about the latest happenings in the world of the NBA, be sure to check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius.