Draymond Green on dancing with Grizzlies crowd in Warriors' blowout loss: We can talk smack, and 'embrace it'
Thu, May 12, 2022
NBA News (AP)
No one expected the Memphis Grizzlies to blow out the Golden State Warriors by 39 points in Game 5 Wednesday night, especially without All-Star guard Ja Morant on the floor after being sidelined with a bone bruise on his right knee. But Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and the rest of the Memphis squad dominated the Warriors 134-95, and the Grizzlies crowd had some fun at the Warriors' expense during a timeout.'
With Memphis up 126-80 and 8:40 left in the fourth quarter, the song "Whoop that trick" began playing on the speakers during a timeout as fans in attendance began twirling towels around in the air. The song wasn't playing just because the PA workers enjoyed the 2005 movie "Hustle & Flow" in which the song originated -- although it is set in Memphis! -- but rather the Grizzlies trolling a comment Stephen Curry made prior to the game.
Ahead of Game 5, Curry said Golden State's game plan was to "whoop that trick," obviously drawing the connection between the song and the city of Memphis. Well, the Grizzlies certainly heard that comment and decided to turn it on Curry and the Warriors. During the timeout, Curry can be seen standing on the court smiling as he realized he was being excellently trolled. Draymond Green even joined in on the towel waving with the fans as he bounced around to the song.
Steph Curry watching the PA play 'Whoop that Trick'. Draymond Green enjoying it. pic.twitter.com/R2TP1AFnHT
- Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 12, 2022
After the game, when asked about the moment, Green explained that the Warriors were capable of taking the smack talk just as good as they hand it out.'
"They not gonna whoop that trick alone. We gonna whoop that trick together if we're gonna whoop that trick," Green said. "One thing I don't respect is people who only bring it when they're winning, embrace crowds when you're winning. We call those front-runners. We're not front-runners. We got our ass kicked. That's alright. It happens. But you don't be a front-runner. When you spew it out, you gotta be willing to take it and not hide from it, not duck from it, not run from it. Embrace it."
You have to respect that quote from Green, who is never one to shy away from trash-talking on the court. Though the Grizzlies got the last laugh in Game 5, they'll have to hope they can put together another solid performance in Game 6 on the road if they want to extend this series and their season.'
