In October 2024, during the Warriors’ opener against the Portland Trail Blazers, Draymond Green and Deni Avdija were involved in an on-court incident. Reports suggest that a foul was called on Green, but in a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show, the two finally discussed the moment.

Avdija said that he “hit” Green rather hard and was waiting for the Warriors’ enforcer to strike back. However, he never quite did.

“And in the end of the game, I came up to you was like, ‘Hey, Dre, like, man, I was waiting for you the whole game. I thought you gonna get me back, man. What you doing?'” Avdija joked about the moment.

“I have the brain of an elephant,” Draymond Green replied. “So, I never forget. sometimes it take me a couple years to get you back. But, you know, you’re hard right, Denny. So, I’m still going to get you because you laid me out.”

The moment was more or less light-hearted for both players. Green admitted that he may have “possibly” forgotten to get back at Avdija after the incident. However, Draymond Green also confessed that he loved Avdija’s head-on approach to the incident.

After being hit by Deni Avdija on-court, Draymond Green was quick to warn him. “Next time you go to the rim, watch what happens,” he had told him at the time. Green explained that Avdija simply accepted his challenge without pushing back.

The Trail Blazers won that game 139-119 with a massive 36-point final quarter. Avdija contributed 26 of those points.

That’s something that the veteran in Green “respected”. For him, it all depends on how a player responds to his challenges and warnings on the court. Even after he jokingly warned Avdija that he’ll get him soon, the young player responded with grace and humor, which is exactly what impressed Green in the first place.

While on the topic, Draymond Green also revealed the one person he was never quite able to get back at. And that was his fellow Michigan State University player, Xavier Tillman.

In 2022, Tillman, on the Memphis Grizzlies side, ended up driving his elbow straight into Draymond Green’s face while making a play against the Warriors. As a result, Green went tumbling to the floor and didn’t get up until a timeout was called a few seconds later. He was later taken to the locker room with a bloodied right eye.

While speaking with Deni Avdija, Draymond Green admitted that Tillman is the one player he wasn’t able to get back at.

“It’s one I’m mad about that I didn’t get to get – my young fellow from Michigan State, Xavier Tillman,” he stated. “We was playing against the Grizzlies and he laid me out and I told him, ‘”‘I’mma get you X’, and he just went overseas, so I can’t get him.”

Tillman spent only six seasons in the NBA. Initially, he was with the Grizzlies. The player later went to the Boston Celtics in 2024 and won an NBA championship. He was later traded to the Hornets in 2026.

Currently, he is signed with the Turkish club Trabzonspor and is continuing his basketball career overseas. However, he could still return to the NBA. As Draymond Green suggested, when Tillman returns to Michigan during grind week, it’s the perfect time for him to get back at him.