The NBA hardwood is always serving up drama, and a recently surfaced clip from a Warriors-Pistons game earlier this month is a perfect example. The footage shows Detroit’s bruiser Isaiah Stewart giving the typically unflappable Stephen Curry a noticeable shove after a made basket, igniting a fiery exchange of trash talk that had fans on the edge of their seats. But it wasn’t just the contact that stirred things up—it was the trash talk that followed. Curry didn’t back down and fired off, “Watch your mouth.” Stewart clapped back, saying, “Sit your a– down.” That was just the start.

Even with teammates and coaches trying to calm things, the two stars kept chirping. Stewart didn’t hesitate to throw more heat, yelling at Curry, “Come by yourself, then. Little bitty guy. Tiny.” And while the Warriors comfortably sealed the win 115-110, that exchange became the talk of the night. Not just because of the drama, but because it felt like a living, breathing example of Carmelo Anthony’s hot take—calling Stewart this era’s Draymond Green.

Just days earlier, Stewart got tangled up in another scuffle, this time during a Pistons-Timberwolves showdown. That led to a two-game suspension without pay for escalating things on court. But even with that, Melo stood by his point.

“Every decade always had That guy or those guys just gritty grimy just want to fight all day aggressive sport, you know It’s like so this era for the longest who hasn’t been Draymond [Green] has been that guy in a sense Right,” he said. “It’s like the guy who just he like the guy who start trouble and shit Kick you and shit, you know if he choke you out like he just he played too much. You know what I’m saying? That’s that’s Draymond [Green].”

And when Melo says even players are dreading matchups with Stewart? That speaks volumes. “Oh, s—. Isaiah [Stewart] again If you said that as a fan, you know, imagine what’s being said internally,” Melo said. “On the bench you’re gonna play like yo, you gotta protect ourself today.” Melo likely sees in Stewart a similar level of physicality, a willingness to get under opponents’ skin, and an undeniable competitive edge, even if it sometimes crosses the line.

To top it off, Melo said Stewart’s chaos has a purpose. “It was control chaos. We see Draymond [Green]… He’s [Stewart] so smart… he just gets besides himself.” Ironically though, not long after, a viral post claimed Draymond himself called Stewart a “bad role model.” 

Did Draymond Green really call out Isaiah Stewart?

The matchup between the Pistons and Timberwolves wasn’t just heated on the court — it stirred up reactions across the league. Isaiah Stewart got tossed after throwing hands with Donte DiVincenzo, while Marcus Sasser and rookie Ron Holland were also ejected. Detroit coach J. B. Bickerstaff didn’t make it out untouched either. It wasn’t just a scuffle; it was a full-on clash that cost Stewart a two-game suspension and put the Pistons right back in the center of another on-court controversy.

Naturally, fans and critics had things to say. Some leaned into the Pistons’ scrappy identity, calling their fire part of the franchise’s DNA. However, others expressed concern about Stewart’s recurring on-court incidents, questioning whether his aggression is ultimately beneficial to his team. But not everyone was so forgiving — Stewart in particular, caught heat online. Critics brought up his past incidents, saying it’s becoming a pattern.

That’s when the Draymond Green chatter started. A quote made the rounds where Green supposedly said, “Every time I watch that guy, he’s always getting into trouble. Not a good role model for the league.” It didn’t take long before NBA Twitter lit up, assuming the Warriors vet had thrown shade at Stewart’s way.

But here’s the thing — that quote wasn’t real. It came from a parody page called Box Score PH, which regularly posts fake content for laughs. Despite Green’s reputation for speaking his mind, he hasn’t actually addressed Stewart’s suspension — not yet, anyway. Whether he’s seen as a valuable enforcer or a liability remains a point of contention, but one thing is clear: matchups against Stewart are unlikely to be peaceful affairs.