Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green showed up for Game 6 of the NBA Finals wearing all black.
On Friday morning, after the Warriors defeated the Celtics to clinch the championship Thursday night, Green confirmed his outfit choice was deliberate.
“It was for a funeral,” Green tweeted.
It was for a funeral https://t.co/AhcKS3ZnrN
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) June 17, 2022
Green struggled for parts of the series, and was benched late in Game 4, but he responded in Game 5 and Game 6. He had a vintage performance Thursday, racking up 12 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals, and even hitting a couple 3-pointers after starting the series 0-for-11.
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It doesn’t take much to get Green fired up – he embraced the role of Boston sports villain throughout the series and was a frequent target of animosity from Boston fans – and on Friday he took a victory lap on social media and in other ways.
He tweeted “The Energy Shifted 4X” – a reference to Jaylen Brown’s tweet earlier this season foreshadowing the Celtics’ turnaround, the Warriors winning four games in the series, and the Warriors capturing their fourth title in eight years.
Green also quote-tweeted a video from NBA on ESPN that shows him dapping up those in his circle amid a cacophony of boos and other chants from the TD Garden crowd.
“Yeah they should’ve ignored me today,” Green said. “Can’t give me the same look.”
And he also responded to critics such as Fox Sports talking head Skip Bayless.
No Draymond was not basically saying that. I was basically saying what I said. If they want to know what else I said, they can listen to The Draymond Green Show. But I don’t need you to speak for me.
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) June 17, 2022
Yours Truly,
The New Media https://t.co/FDqWEW7T7B
The Warriors chanted “[expletive] you, Draymond” in the locker room after the victory – mocking the chant fans at TD Garden directed at Green throughout the series – and Kevon Looney joked that Green has been yelling at the Warriors all year himself.
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Green was also spotted wearing a Celtics t-shirt that had been modified to reflect the outcome of the NBA Finals.
Let’s do a Draymond Green fit check 😂 pic.twitter.com/QZU1ZE6eRx
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) June 17, 2022
Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com.