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Draymond Green Snaps Back at Fans Who Blasted Him for Zach Edey Disrespect: “It Was Killing”

Published 04/11/2024, 12:31 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The UConn Huskies shattered Zach Edey and Co.’s dreams after blowing them out 75-60 in Monday’s NCAA Championship game. Warriors Forward Draymond Green noticed the exact moment Edey mentally “quit” during the Finals matchup and tweeted about it after the game. Draymond’s tweet enraged Zach Edey’s supporters, leading them to slam the Warriors star for disrespecting him. However, Green doubled down on his comments and snapped back at the fans days after his viral tweet.

After UConn beat Purdue in the Finals, Draymond tweeted, “Job Well Done 35! You did your job tonight. It was him that made Edey quit with about 19 mins to go in the 2nd half. There was a turnover and I saw Edey body language walking back. He was done. Now rewatch the game from that point on. #FreeGame”

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During the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, Draymond dove into his comment about Zach Edey’s demoralizing body language. “It was killing their (Purdue’s) demeanor, and it was killing their spirit.” Draymond claimed he had not seen Edey like that the entire tournament. After the turnover, Edey gave up multiple offensive rebounds, did not play much help defense, and even committed a traveling violation. Many enraged fans responded to Draymond’s tweet by pointing out Edey’s 37 points and 10 rebounds stat line. But Green gave those fans a harsh reality check, “The reality is he finished with 37 points. But it wasn’t no Zach Edey 37. It wasn’t a dominant 37.”

The Warriors Forward claimed Edey’s first 20-22 points were dominant, but then the Huskies’ defense bottled it up. The 7’4 Center was forced to take jump hooks from a distance because he could not back down UConn’s defenders in the post. That killed Purdue’s momentum and cost them the game.

Draymond credits Dan Hurley and UConn’s Number 35 for stopping Zach Edey

In Draymond’s viral tweet, he credited UConn’s Number 35 player for making Zach Edey lose hope. Although Green never took his name, he was referring to Forward Samson Johnson. The Warriors Forward continued to hype up Johnson during the podcast for his incredible effort against Edey. “It was him that I saw that got to Zach Edey.” He believed Johnson was unbothered about getting fouled out and did a great job of getting under Edey’s skin and making him lose focus. Maybe Draymond saw a little bit of himself in Johnson during the Championship game considering he has a similar role on the Warriors roster. He also appreciated Center Donovan Clingan’s effort against Edey.

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Draymond also had great things to say about Dan Hurley’s incredible coaching throughout the tournament. After Monday’s Final, Draymond even pointed out a similarity in Hurley and Stever Kerr’s coaching style. He tweeted, “That was very Steve Kerr-esque Dan Hurley!! Hit the corner while the big is off fake the handoff hit the slip.”

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Green was referring to a play he frequently runs with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the NBA. Hurley used the same play to get Edey away from the basket for easy UConn points. Monday’s win was a great team effort by UConn, and they should in all rights be applauded for executing their game plan to perfection.

Read More: Draymond Green Doesn’t Need A Babysitter, Reaffirms Stephen Curry After Tense Encounter with Ref vs Lakers

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Written by:

Rohan Bhaunt

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Rohan Singh Bhaunt, an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, boasts a background as a divisional basketball player and an NBA enthusiast spanning over a decade. His extensive knowledge of the sport enables him to intricately explore its nuances, presenting a fresh outlook. Rohan's dive into the NBA newsdesk at ES commenced with witnessing LeBron James secure his inaugural championship in Miami.
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