Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green had just about enough and went head-to-head with a taunting fan during Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Green explained after the game that the fan just wouldn’t shut up.
“He just kept calling me a woman. It was a good joke at first, but you can’t keep calling me a woman,” Green said, adding that the taunter was constantly calling him a “woman’s name,” according to NBC News.
“I got four kids and one on the way,” Green exclaimed. “Just don’t be disrespectful.”
The man, identified as Pelicans fan Sam Green of New Orleans, was on his feet cheering when Draymond Green was called on a foul while guarding Pelicans forward Herb Jones.
Soon after the call, Green walked over to the fan standing on the sideline and got inches away from his chest.
Officials jumped in quickly to separate the two, and Green retreated onto the court. As ushers talked with the fan, he stood there clearly amused by the whole incident.
Green added that game official Courtney Kirkland told him, “I got it. I’ve heard him over and over and over again. You’ve handled it well. Don’t get yourself in no trouble. I’ll take care of it. Courtney was great.”
Witnesses say that fans were heard calling Green “Angel Reese” because he had missed several rebounds during the game. The WNBA’s Reese is famous for racking up rebound stats by grabbing them from her own missed shots. Some analysis says that fully one-third of her rebounds come from her own missed shots.
For his part, the fan claims that Green cursed at him and threatened to punch him if he kept using the Angel Reese taunt, and told the press, “I wasn’t using profanity, and for him to walk 12 feet off the court to come and get in my face like that, it was a little unnerving.”
The fan was given a warning, but not ordered to leave the arena.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr dismissed Green’s decision to confront the fan. “As long as it doesn’t escalate, it’s fine (for a player) to go over and have a discussion. It would have been nice if security had gotten there a little bit earlier,” Kerr said.
Green was not fined for Sunday’s confrontation, but he has been fined for similar behavior before. In 2022, for instance, he paid a $25,000 fine for “directing obscene language toward a fan.”
Indeed, Green said that he usually enjoys the taunting.
“I love disrespect on the road because we win a lot,” Green explained. “Quieting a home crowd is always fun.”
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