OAKLAND, Calif. — Baron Davis, the Golden State Warriors’ former star point guard, didn’t mince words when he addressed Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green’s recent verbal jab at Draymond Green. On April 28, Davis fired off a sharp rebuke during an NBCS Warriors interview, calling out the young Rocket for crossing a line with comments that stirred up the Bay Area faithful.
The dust-up began when Jalen Green, in a postgame press conference after Houston’s April 27 loss to Golden State, took a swipe at Draymond Green’s defensive style. The Rockets guard, visibly frustrated, suggested Draymond’s physicality leaned more toward dirty play than skill. The remark, caught on ESPN’s broadcast, lit a fuse among Warriors fans and players alike, but it was Davis, a two-time All-Star with a deep Warriors legacy, who stepped up to deliver a verbal haymaker.
“There’s a fine line between respect and disrespect,” Davis said, his voice steady but edged with grit. “You gotta be careful, especially when you’re talking about a guy like Draymond, who’s been anchoring this team’s defense for a decade. That’s not just a player; that’s a champion. You don’t poke at that unless you’re ready to back it up.”
The comments from Jalen Green came after a heated game where Draymond, a four-time NBA champion, locked down Houston’s backcourt, holding Green to 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Official NBA game logs confirm Draymond also racked up three steals and a block, underscoring his defensive dominance. The Warriors’ 112-98 victory, as reported by the Associated Press, marked their third straight win over Houston this season.
Davis, who played for Golden State from 2005 to 2008 and led the famed “We Believe” playoff run, didn’t stop at defending Draymond’s credentials. He leaned into the moment, urging the 22-year-old Rockets star to tread carefully. “This league humbles you quick,” Davis said. “You wanna talk big, fine, but you better bring it on the court. Draymond’s not the one to test.”
The NBCS interview, aired during a Warriors postgame show, quickly gained traction. Clips circulated widely, with the NBA’s official YouTube channel posting a highlight reel of Draymond’s defensive plays alongside Davis’ comments. No official response has come from Jalen Green or the Rockets organization as of April 29. Houston’s next game, a road matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, is set for May 1, per the NBA’s published schedule.
Draymond Green, for his part, has stayed silent on the matter. His focus, according to a Warriors press release, remains on the team’s push for a top-four seed in the Western Conference. Golden State, sitting at 46-30, holds the fifth spot in the standings, per ESPN’s latest update.
The incident adds fuel to an already fiery Warriors-Rockets rivalry, which has simmered since their playoff clashes in the mid-2010s. Official NBA records show Golden State eliminated Houston in the postseason four times between 2015 and 2019. For now, Davis’ warning stands as the last word in a feud that’s sure to carry over when the teams meet again next season.