Draymond Green Calls New York Knicks ‘Soft’ After Outrage Over Mike Brown Hug

Draymond Green mocks members of the New York Knicks who were mad at his hug of Mike Brown.

Draymond Green Calls New York Knicks ‘Soft’ After Outrage Over Mike Brown Hug

Draymond Green (Image credits - Firstsportz)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Draymond Green and Mike Brown have a strong relationship as they spent time together with the Golden State Warriors from 2016 to 2022, till the departure of Brown. Brown served as an assistant coach and helped the Warriors win three NBA Championships in 2017, 2018 and 2022. He went on to be the head coach of the Sacramento Kings and took the club to their first playoff appearance in 2023 after 17 years. After his time with the Kings, he joined the New York Knicks in 2025.

Mike Brown has faced some criticism over the last few weeks due to their poor run of form. However, they still find themselves at third place in the Eastern Conference standings and won the 2025 NBA Cup last month. Meanwhile, the Warriors were hit with a major blow to their championship aspirations after Jimmy Butler was ruled out for the season due to an ACL tear.

Last week, the Knicks took on the Warriors at the Chase Arena and suffered a 126-113 defeat. It was the Knicks’ ninth loss in 11 games. Early in the fourth quarter of the match, Draymond Green lost his footing and crashed onto the floor, he reached out with one hand to try to poke the ball out, while using his other to trip Karl-Anthony Towns.

After the game, Brown was seen hugging Green, which did not sit well with some of the members of the Knicks, especially after what the four-time champion had done earlier to their star player. However, Green is not someone to sit back and stay quiet.

On the latest episode of his podcast, Green weighed in on the controversy surrounding his hug of the Knicks head coach.

I fouled KAT it wasn’t a hard foul if it was a hard foul he should have got up and defended himself. Mike Brown and I won multiple championships together we collaborated a lot. That relationship is what it is. It ain’t changing because it’s built. He didn’t hug me back, I hugged him.

The Knicks finally put an end to their four-match losing streak as they beat a struggling Brooklyn Nets 120-66 in convincing fashion. It was just their third win in 11 games since the turn of the year.

Draymond Green shut down rumors of a Jimmy Butler trade

Jimmy Butler‘s injury comes at an unfortunate time for the Warriors. The Warriors had gone 12-4 in their previous 16 games till Butler went down. Since then, they have lost both their matches, their recent loss coming against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.

Following the injury, the entire Chase Arena went silent as Butler grimaced in pain while grabbing his right knee. Butler has been an instrumental figure for Steve Kerr‘s team. The 36-year-old was averaging 20 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 38 appearances this season.

Jimmy Butler's injury changes things for the Warriors
Jimmy Butler’s injury changes things for the Warriors (Image via Nathan Karseno/X)

With Butler out for the season, there have been rumors that the club may look to trade the forward before the trade deadline. Green quickly shut down those rumors.

It remains to be seen where the Warriors go from here. Stephen Curry and Green are at the backend of their careers and it is a lot to expect from the two veterans to carry them all the way.

The Warriors are affected emotionally

It is natural for the Warriors to take some time to recover from this. And it has shown in their last two performances. While Kerr remains confident in the roster, it is a huge hole to fill.

Not only was Butler giving them 20 a night, he has been cornerstone of their defensive system, bringing energy, leadership, and grit to a roster built on experience and adaptability. Butler’s playoff experience and history would have made the Warriors a serious threat in the postseason.

Following the loss to the Mavs, Curry spoke about the team’s situation after the injury but showed confidence in their ability.

It’s obviously a tough situation. First and foremost you think about him and his recovery, but basketball-wise we have to make the necessary adjustments. These last two games have been difficult making that adjustment. Emotionally we have to move on as fast as possible to not let things spiral. As long as I’m out there, I’m always confident we can win. Until proven otherwise, you have to carry that mentality.

The Warriors dropped to 25-21 and remain at eighth in the Western Conference standings, 2.5 games behind sixth seeds, Los Angeles Lakers. The Dubs will now have back-to-back games against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on January 24 and 26.

Also Read: