Draymond Green Joins Inside the NBA After Christmas Win, Days After Heated Kerr Exchange
Draymond Green doesn’t get many chances to sit alongside Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson on Inside the NBA-and when he does, it’s usually after the Warriors’ season has wrapped. But this Christmas, Green made a rare midseason appearance on the show, and in typical Barkley fashion, it didn’t take long for the jokes to start flying.
As Green joined the panel ahead of the NBA’s Christmas Day slate, Barkley greeted the four-time champion with a playful jab: “We’re going to have you back in once the playoffs start.” The line drew laughs from the crew, while Green just spread his arms, caught somewhere between disbelief and resignation. It was classic Inside the NBA-part roast, part reunion.
The timing of Barkley’s comment wasn’t random. Last season, Green didn’t join the show until late April, after Golden State had been bounced from the playoffs in the second round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. With the Warriors once again hovering around the play-in picture, Barkley took the opportunity to poke fun at the team’s uncertain postseason future.
And it’s not like the Warriors are lighting the league on fire right now. Despite a 126-116 win over the Mavericks on Christmas Day, they’re just 16-15-good for eighth in the loaded Western Conference.
They trail the Houston Rockets by three games for a top-six seed and a guaranteed playoff berth. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned about this Warriors core, it’s that they’re not panicking.
This group knows how to flip the switch when it matters most-and they’re betting on that experience to carry them again.
Green Returns to Lineup After Sideline Blowup with Kerr
Green’s Inside the NBA cameo came just days after a moment that had social media buzzing-and not for the right reasons. During Monday’s win over the Orlando Magic, Green and head coach Steve Kerr got into a heated exchange early in the third quarter. Emotions boiled over, and Green walked away from the huddle, heading straight to the locker room to cool off.
By the fourth quarter, Green was back on the bench in street clothes, cheering on his teammates as they closed out a dominant 120-97 win. According to reports, both Green and Kerr apologized to one another after the game, putting the incident behind them quickly.
Two days later, Green was back in the starting lineup, helping the Warriors take down Dallas in a much-needed victory. For all the drama, this is still a team that leans on its veteran leaders to set the tone-and Green, for all his fire, remains one of the emotional engines of this franchise.
The Road Ahead
The Warriors’ path to the playoffs is anything but guaranteed. The West is deep, the margin for error is slim, and the play-in race is already heating up.
But for Golden State, it’s never just about the standings. It’s about getting right by April.
And if Green and the rest of the core can stay locked in-on the court and with each other-they’ve still got the kind of battle-tested DNA that no one wants to face in a seven-game series.
Until then, Green might want to keep his suit ready. If Barkley’s prediction holds true, he could be back on the Inside the NBA set sooner than he’d like.