Draymond Green: Charles Barkley Should Stop Criticizing Before I Take His Job

Draymond Green issued a hard rebuke of Charles Barkley's criticism Friday, saying the Hall of Famer and TNT analyst should "stop before I take his job." 

"Barkley should stop before I go take his job, though, 'cause I can do that well too," Green told reporters. "He already ain't make enough money playing, so he need that job. He should stop talking to me. I like to, you know, I have a tendency to end people, so he should stop before I take his job.

"If he keeps talking, I'll take it soon—sooner than he thinks. He probably should be quiet. He also can't talk basketball with me, either. Not smart enough, not qualified. No rings, can't sit at this table."

Barkley and Green have a yearslong war of words, with the Round Mound of Rebound recently joking Draymond "got his normal triple-single" after he was ejected from a game last month against the Los Angeles Lakers. Green has struggled during the 2019-20 season, averaging 8.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists on 38.9 percent shooting while also dealing with multiple injuries.

In 2018, Barkley apologized for saying he wanted to punch Green in the face. 

"First of all, I want to apologize to Draymond Green. I wasn't literally gonna fight an NBA player, and if he took it like that, I apologize," Barkley said on ESPN Chicago's Waddle and Silvy. "Just because I said something that I shouldn't have said, I want to be man enough to apologize. I was 100 percent wrong.

"I didn't mean it literally. People want to make it out literally that I'm gonna fight an NBA player. That's unfortunate. But I want to apologize to Draymond."

Green and his mother responded to the challenge at the time. 

"I think a lot of guys talk on TV, stand behind the microphone and TV screen," Green told reporters. "Fact of the matter is if you feel that strongly about something...then punch me in my face when you see me. If you not gonna punch me in my face when you see me then shut up. 

"It's no different then somebody sitting behind a computer screen tweeting 'I'll knock you out,' and you never see them in life. Well, he's seen me a bunch of times, and he'll see me again this year. Punch me in the face when you see me, or if not, no one cares what you would have done. You old and it is what it is." 

Suffice it to say there has been no love lost (or gained) between the two over the last few years.