Draymond Green in the 90s? Knicks Legend John Starks Sounds Off

New York Knicks legend John Starks praised Draymond Green's overall game but believes he would've had to answer for his physical play in the NBA of the 1990s.

Former New York Knicks star John Starks feels like Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green might have some explaining to do if his NBA career began about two decades earlier.

Green, a four-time NBA All-Star and champion, has become equally lauded and infamous for his physical style of play since joining the Golden State Warriors in 2008. Such antics have helped pave the way toward the creation of the Warriors' new-century dynasty alongside fellow Bay Area staples Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. 

The three-point activities of Curry and Thompson have defined the Warriors' legendary run but Green has been a mainstay on defense, earning eight NBA All-Defensive Team nominations. Some have viewed his physicality as excessive, however, as the Michigan State alum frequently appears among the NBA' technical foul leaders. Even Green's teammates haven't been immune to his physicality, as he made headlines last season thanks to an altercation with Jordan Poole during a Golden State practice last fall.

Starks, having likewise earned praise for his defensive endeavors, believes that Green's work would at least be somewhat appreciated during his 1990s dominion ... but would face some retaliation and payback.

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"It’s good that he’s that way," Starks told Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson of Bally Sports. "But, believe me, Draymond, back in the day, would have gotten checked real quick for his antics."

Modern basketball debates have often wondered how the Association's modern stars would play in the final years of the past millennium, which were well-remembered for their excessive physicality and defensive struggles. Starks believes that the players of the past's propensity to act on fighting words rather than keeping things verbal would lead to an ugly outcome for Green.

"Back then, guys are going to test you. They’re not going to be like talking and all of this stuff. Those big guys are going to test you and see how tough you really are, but they can’t do that nowadays. So, Draymond can get away with it." 

While Starks believes the existence of a time machine wouldn't benefit Green's defensive prowess, he did praise the longtime Warrior's ability to hold his teammates accountable no matter their status or prestige. Starks recalled that Green's reaction to then-Warriors star Kevin Durant allowing Cleveland's J.R. Smith to earn a key rebound during the opening game of the 2018 NBA Finals. 

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Smith's famous flub, allowing regulation time to expire under the impression that the game was tied, didn't stop Green from calling out Durant for his own would-be gaffe. 

"It’s no knock against him because what he does is he keeps his teammates in games. I’ve watched him get on Kevin Durant after he let J.R. come up with that rebound in the Finals and you need a guy like that. You know, he’s good for a team and times are just different. Draymond is just wild."

Starks was one of several memorable defenders on the star-studded, turn-of-the-century Knicks, joining standouts like Marcus Camby, Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Charlie Ward, and more. The undrafted stud earned All-Defensive Second Team honors in 1993, one year before helping push the team to the NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets.