Trash talking in the NBA is unlike any other sport.
New Orleans Pelicans and former Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum was in attendance for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors.
McCollum, who studied journalism while at Lehigh University, has been serving as an NBA analyst for ESPN, working Finals games and appearing on studio shows for the network.
After the Celtics took Game 3 with a 116-100 win to improve to 2-1 on the series, McCollum waited in the hallway of TD Garden and ran into Warriors forward Draymond Green as he was headed to his postgame press conference. The two stars from the Midwest shared a conversation about the series.
During the exchange chronicled by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, McCollum informed Green that he picked the Celtics to win Game 3 and eventually win the series.
“I’ve got to tell you this. I picked Boston to win Game 3, I picked you guys to win Game 4. But ultimately, I’ve got the Celtics winning the Finals,” McCollum said to Green. “I just want you to hear it from me first before you hear me say it on TV.”
Green quickly responded with an epic clapback.
“That’s fine. Those Celtics will still be ringless just like you. Respect.”
Green walked off with a smirk after delivering his response.
McCollum took it in stride.
“Damn, that was a good (expletive) comeback,” McCollum said. “But, hey, he heard it from me.”
Green told Yahoo that he appreciated McCollum telling that to his face because “that’s something people in this day and age don’t do.”
“I’m a (expletive)-talker,” Green told Haynes. “I’m always going to have something to say back. It just naturally comes out like that. That’s just how I’m made up. I always got something quick. That’s just how my mind works. But I think CJ is incredible. I remember going back to his third or fourth year in the league, CJ was doing media when we were in the NBA Finals. He’s been doing it for a very long time and to see him rewarded with his deal with ESPN, I think is incredible for him. I think it’s incredible for the league.”
We’ll see if McCollum ends up being right or not, but regardless, him approaching Green, who is an also analyst but for TNT, at a time when he probably didn’t want to hear that is admirable. Green might’ve not liked what he had to say, but he appreciated his approach.
- Aron Yohannes
ayohannes@oregonian.com; @aronyohannes
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