Green shrugs off Celtics fan abuse
So at the end of the day it’s me and my teammates out there on the court versus their guys.
BOSTON (AFP) — Golden State star Draymond Green shrugged off abuse from Boston fans on Thursday after being bombarded with expletive-laden chants during the Warriors’ game-three NBA Finals loss to the Celtics.
Green fouled out of Wednesday’s 116-100 loss at a raucous TD Garden to a torrent of clearly audible obscenities from large sections of the Celtics supporters.
Both Golden State coach Steve Kerr and teammate Klay Thompson later took aim at Celtics supporters over the abuse, while Green’s wife Hazel Renee condemned the chants in a post on social media after the game.
“Tough loss tonight but in no way shape or form should fans be allowed to chant obscenities at players! Are they not human?” she wrote.
“My kids were at the game tonight hearing that mess? Very disgusting of you little Celtics fans. Just shameful.”
The fiercely combative Green, however, was relaxed over the issue when talking to reporters on Thursday, saying he has no difficulty blocking out the abuse when he is on the court, even if it was upsetting to family members in the stands.
“Obviously it can affect them, and I understand that,” Green said.
“For me going on the court, those people chanting that out on the floor, quite frankly, my family aren’t out there with me either.”
“So at the end of the day it’s me and my teammates out there on the court versus their guys. That’s just what it has to be, channel and focus all my energy there.
“I didn’t really give much to the crowd anyway, which I kind of think was a little bit more of an issue than if I did.”
Warriors teammate Thompson said after
Wednesday’s defeat that the crowd had not been an issue — while simultaneously taking a jab at Celtics fans.
“It was not a factor,” Thompson said of the abuse directed at Green.
“We’ve played in front of rude people before. Dropping f-bombs with children in the crowd. Real classy. Good job, Boston.”
Warriors coach Kerr, meanwhile, echoed Thompson when asked for his view on the Boston crowd. “Classy,” Kerr said. “Very classy.”
Green, meanwhile, vowed to bounce back from his dismal game-three outing on Friday, when the Warriors will attempt to square the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
“We are a much better team when I’m aggressive offensively, so I have to be that for this team,” said Green, who scored just two points and made only four rebounds on Wednesday.