Apart from a select few, no player is beyond criticism. Draymond Green, the vocal leader of the Warriors, has often come under scrutiny. Now, after Green dismissed Kendrick Perkins as a "big dummy" during their latest exchange, the former NBA center has turned the insult back on him. Perkins' response goes beyond the name-calling.
Perkins challenged Green's current production, his defensive reputation, and the message he sends through his own platform.
"The first thing is that, Draymond, you're not above criticism. And I wasn't talking about what you did in the past. I'm talking about this season," Perkins said, speaking on the Road Trippin' Show . Starting from where he left off, former big man established that Green's on discussion not because of his basketball.
"The only time that we mentioned his name was over the past few days because of him doing something crazy that shouldn't have been done."
The exchange followed Perkins calling Draymond Green a " liability more than an asset " on ESPN's First Take after the Warriors forward's recent ejection against the Suns. Green responded on his podcast, questioning Perkins' understanding of the game and calling him a "big dummy."
In retaliation…
"You want to talk about defensive anchor? You want to talk about the transition of your game and where you are now and what you don't tolerate as the starting center. Well, you weren't the only person that was the starting center in your life. And actually, I was one of them. And I was the starting center during a time, this big dummy right here, where the game was actually played through boxes and elbows. I was the starting center when there was no help whatsoever. I was the starting center that every night I either had a Dwight, Rasheed Wallace, Tim Duncan, Yao Ming, Shaq, Zach Randolph- one-deep. So one deep."
"So you're not the only person that knows how to be an anchor. By the way, a sport seems to being an anchor than just hard fouls and being able to get ejected. You actually got to defend," Perkins added.
The criticism also comes as Draymond Green's early-season numbers have invited scrutiny.
He is averaging 3 points (through 9 games) while shooting 38.1% from the field in the 2026–27 season. Those figures do not capture the full value of his defense, communication, or playmaking. But they have given Perkins an opening to question whether Green is contributing enough offensively to compensate for the attention his disciplinary issues attract.
The Phoenix incident made that debate harder to avoid.
Ref ejected Draymond Green after an altercation involving Suns center Khaman Maluach, followed by a confrontation with Dillon Brooks. Green later defended his actions on his podcast, arguing that he had to put Maluach on the floor to protect the paint and establish that opponents could not challenge him without consequences.
Perkins also took aim at Green's use of his podcast.
"Why don't you have a platform where you actually educate the audience on real basketball sh*t? Like, at this point, you're using your platform; what you're saying is hurt, people. You seem like a hurt person who uses your platform to actually go on there and hurt people. And then you come out publicly—and by the way, I love you for this—you go out publicly, and you say, I want to go out publicly and bring awareness about me having to speak to my therapist and doing this, and I actually applaud you for this. But guess what? You actually got to apply this well."
Perkins' response raises two questions: whether Draymond Green is still delivering enough on the court to justify his role. And whether his conduct matches the standards he encourages others to embrace.
Draymond Green can reject Perkins' assessment. But his recent ejection and the criticism surrounding his early-season production have kept the debate alive. The next chapter may depend less on another podcast exchange and more on what Green shows on the floor.
Trending Articles
The post "This Big Dummy Right Here": Kendrick Perkins Flips Draymond Green's Insult Into Fiery Response After Ejection Criticism appeared first on EssentiallySports . Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
