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Jimmy Butler Drops Hilarious Quote About Draymond Green's Unmatched Competitive Nature
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green put on a masterclass defending Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo on Tuesday.
Green matched up with Antetokounmpo for about seven minutes during the Warriors-Bucks game, and Milwaukee's superstar did not make a single shot when guarded by Green.
Draymond locked up the Greek Freak š pic.twitter.com/2OsFiOuHr8
ā Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 19, 2025
Antetokounmpo, who averages 30.4 points per game, was limited to just 20 points and recorded his worst game as a shooter in two seasons, per ESPN. Green notched 10 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals during the game, helping the Warriors defeat the Bucks 104-93 without Steph Curry.
New Warriors star Jimmy Butler attributed Green's excellent defense of Antetokounmpo to his nature, joking that Green would even display that level of defensive ferocity going up against a five-year-old.
āHe always like that," Butler said of Green after the win. "Not just Giannis. He donāt give a damn who heās going up against. If heās going up against a damn 5-year-old. He would hate for that individual to score on him. And he wouldnāt want anybody to help him. He's like, 'This is my matchup. This is all me. I've gotta be able to get a stop.'"
āHe (Draymond) always like that. Not just Giannis. He donāt give a damn who heās going up against. If heās going up against a damn 5 year old. He would hate for that individual to score on him. And he wouldnāt want anybody to help him.ā š
ā 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) March 19, 2025
More from Jimmy on Draymondās defense pic.twitter.com/7P7s9vtSHA
Butler more seriously said of Green: āI think you gotta respect the hell out of what he does. ā¦ Just lock in on defense. Every single possession down and get mad when anybody scores. Not just the guy heās guardingā¦ He is a Hall of Famer for a reason. I just respect what he brings to this squad. What he brings to this locker room.ā
Warriors coach Steve Kerr also offered high praise for Green's performance against Antetokounmpo. "Draymond showed why he is still one of the great defenders in the world," Kerr said. "It wasn't just the defense; it was the leadership, the energy."
Green believes his performance vaulted his name back into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, and is now aiming for another DPOY award after previously winning the honor in 2017.
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Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.