Nurkic wastes no time roasting Draymond Green after surprising season flame-out

There isn't much in the way of legitimate beef in the NBA in 2024, but the bad blood between Jusuf Nurkic of the Phoenix Suns and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors is the rare exception. The two having now had a couple of run ins on the hardwood floor.

The situation came to a head this season, when Green appeared to not so subtly throw a punch in the direction of Nurkic. What followed for Green was an extended suspension by the league as he sought to get himself right, although in the aftermath Nurkic actually had a level-headed approach to what had happened, saying at the time;

"Personally, I feel like that brother needs help. I'm glad he didn't try to choke me, but at the same time, ain't nothing to do with basketball, man. Like, I'm just out there trying to play basketball, and he's out there swinging. Think we saw that often, but hope whatever he got in his life, it gets better."

- Jusuf Nurkic on Draymond Green

For a minute there it looked like this not rising to Green attitude was exactly how to get the the better of the Warriors' defensive lynchpin. It has often looked like he was seeking out the confrontation and the verbal spats that followed - but in hoping for Green to get better - there was little he could do with that information to go back at Nurkic.

Then came the next matchup between the Suns and Warriors - after Green had served his suspension - and there were more antics from Draymond.

Part of the reason he had been forced to step away in the first place was to get councilling to learn to try and keep his emotions in check. Yet there was Green, hitting Nurkic with a "too small" gesture. To be fair though, it was Nurkic who had done so first, although the back-and-forth prompted a new and more aggressive response from Nurkic in the aftermath.

"It's sad. He didn't learn anything. Just a matter of time. He's going to hit somebody else again. Take back everything I said. He don't deserve a chance."

- Jusuf Nurkic on Draymond Green

All of this leading us to the latest chapter in the rivalry, which took place on Tuesday night while the Suns were sitting at home preparing for a playoff matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. A first round series that they have every chance of winning. Instead it was the Warriors playing another foe in the Sacramento Kings in the play-in game, which they would go on to lose.

Green finished the game - a 118-94 loss - with 12 points and three rebounds in 35 minutes of action. The Kings getting their revenge for losing a game seven to the same opponent in the opening round of the postseason last year. Nurkic couldn't resist getting involved in the aftermath, taking to X to hit Green with the least subtle dig imaginable.

Savage.

You can chalk this up as a win for Nurkic in the war between the two, although Green can and likely will take his own shot back should the Suns fail to win a championship. For now though it looks like the end of the Warriors dynasty as we know it, and Nurkic will be sure to remind Green of that fact every opportunity that he gets.