Well, well, well… if it isn’t Chuck catching strays from Draymond Green!
Game 7? Stephen Curry? Doubt him at your own risk. Just ask Charles Barkley, who had a front-row seat to his own cold take getting torched into oblivion. Ahead of Sunday night’s win-or-go-home showdown between the Warriors and Rockets, Barkley was certain—and we mean “bet the house” certain—that Golden State was done. “Steph is wearing down,” he said. “The Rockets are going to win tonight.”
Fast-forward a few hours, and boom, Draymond Green served up the pettiest, most glorious clapback in classic Draymond fashion—through an Instagram Story that’s now living rent-free in every Warriors fan’s head.
Let’s rewind and break this down because this saga deserves the full treatment.
Before the game even started, Sir Charles went full Barkley-mode on Inside the NBA. He pulled out every line in the “Steph is cooked” playbook: “He had 50 two years ago? That’s like five years in NBA terms.” “He’s wearing down. His hand is hurt.” “I don’t think he’s capable of getting 50.” And finally… “The Rockets are going to win tonight.”
Mind you, this is despite Ernie Johnson and the rest of the TNT crew reminding him that Curry just had a 50-burger in April. But Barkley wasn’t having any of it. “That was April,” he scoffed—as if it was a decade ago.
Chuck saw Games 5 and 6, where Curry was visibly bothered by his sore right thumb, and just assumed the Warriors were cooked. And when Houston slapped around Golden State in Game 6, it looked like Barkley was about to go viral… for being right for once.
Stephen Curry has made a career out of turning silence into symphonies—and in Game 7, he did it again. In a game that felt eerily familiar, the Warriors’ superstar mirrored his iconic 2019 playoff performance, leading Golden State to a gritty 103–89 win and punching their ticket to the next round.
Just like in Game 6 of the 2019 Western Conference Semifinals—also against Houston—Curry was nearly invisible in the first half, scoring just three points on 1-of-7 shooting. Houston’s young defensive stalwart Amen Thompson hounded him at every turn, and Golden State’s offense sputtered under the Rockets’ pressure.
But the great ones don’t stay quiet for long.
Coming out of halftime with the season hanging in the balance, Curry flipped the narrative. He poured in 17 second-half points, drilling three triples and orchestrating the Warriors’ offense with his signature blend of poise and electricity. The final stat line: 22 points, and another classic Steph takeover when it mattered most.
Rewind to May 10, 2019, and the script was uncannily similar. That night, with Kevin Durant sidelined and Golden State on the brink, Curry went scoreless in the first half—an anomaly of epic proportions. But then came the explosion: 33 second-half points, including four clutch threes, stunning the Rockets and sealing a 118–113 Game 6 win.
Six years later, same arena, different names—but the outcomes were the same.
Oh, and did we mention he did it with an injured thumb? Barkley, in classic Chuck fashion, tried to salvage the take after the game by pivoting: “I don’t think it matters. The Rockets blew the series last game.”
Translation: “Don’t blame me. Blame the Rockets.” Too late. The receipts are in. And Draymond Green made sure the world saw them.
Draymond Green: The Culture King
So here’s the fun part. Draymond Green, who’s basically the Warriors’ Minister of Culture, saw Barkley’s bold pre-game take online. Not only did he repost the prediction to his IG story… he sandwiched it with Barkley’s post-game quote.
Before and after. Just to hammer home how bad the take aged. And then, in peak Draymond pettiness, he added a cheeky little caption to go along with it: “You do have a couple gold though.”
Now THAT is cold. It’s like saying, “Yeah, you’re wrong again, Chuck, but hey—you got Olympic medals, so you’ve got that going for you.” It’s savage, subtle, and absolutely hilarious.
Fans immediately caught the shade. Warriors fans were loving it, calling it “the most Draymond thing ever.” Some even said Draymond deserves a Pulitzer for social media trolling. Let’s be real—he probably screenshotted that Barkley clip the second it aired. The man was waiting.
Mar 3, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Draymond has always been more than just a player. He’s a walking narrative, a hype machine, and a locker room pulse all in one. Sure, he might punch a teammate in practice or get ejected once in a while (ahem), but when it comes to defending the family, he’s got that dog in him.
And this was personal. Charles Barkley has been throwing jabs at the Warriors, especially Draymond, for years. The “triple-single” comment? The “not a Hall of Famer” debates? The whole “I’d punch Draymond too” stuff?
Yeah. Draymond remembers. So when his squad gets doubted, and when his Hall of Fame point guard gets dismissed? Oh, it’s on. The Warriors now advance to face Anthony Edwards and the scorching Minnesota Timberwolves. Game 1 tips off Tuesday night at 9:30 p.m. EST. Draymond’s going to be right back in the fire, guarding Gobert, maybe helping slow down Ant-Man, and definitely chirping the entire time.
But before all that, this moment was his.
Draymond Green didn’t just make a gutsy claim. He crafted a petty masterpiece and roasted Charles Barkley without saying a single word on camera.
Scoreboard, Chuck. Scoreboard.
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