Draymond Green had a verbal altercation with a fan in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans . It was an incident that left NBA legend and now basketball analyst Reggie Miller both impressed and amused.
Speaking on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Tuesday, Miller gave his take on what happened between Green and a Pelicans fan on Sunday over what the Golden State Warriors big man felt was excessive taunting by the courtside spectator.
Miller , who had his share of chippy interactions with fans during his days with the Indiana Pacers , handed it to the fan for finding a great angle to get under the skin of his target,and felt Green could have been more chill with the whole situation.
"First of all, I'm gonna give, as much as I love Draymond Green , I do love him. That was some elite trolling by that fan. No cursing. He did his homework, and if you look at the stat line, all he was doing was referring to Draymond Green as Angel Reese. All he was saying was 'Angel,' regarding the numbers. You are not scoring, but you are racking up the rebounds," Miller said .
"So, that's kind of funny. I don't understand the sensitivity on the side of Draymond. That's something he would do because he's an elite troll himself. I'm taking the fan's point of view because he didn't cross the line in my [opinion]. He (Green) should have a sense of humor on this because it's kind of funny," the Hall-of-Famer added.
The incident between Green and the fan, whose name is Sam Green, interestingly, took place late in the second quarter of the Warriors' 124-106 road victory over the Pelicans on Sunday.
The four-time NBA champion grew frustrated over the fans' unending references to him as WNBA star Angel Reese, who is known for her penchant for rebounding but has struggled with scoring.
At that point in the game, Green had yet to score any points but had already secured seven rebounds. He eventually finished the game with eight points, 10 rebounds and six assists. The Warriors star walked up to the fan and got into his face and they had an exchange of heated words. Warriors players and game officials then stepped in to separate the two.
In explaining what he did, Green admitted that he took the taunt lightly at first, but it just came to a point where it became too much to bear.
"It was a good joke at first, but you can't keep calling me a woman," Green shared , as posted by San Francisco Chronicle's Sam Gordon on X, formerly Twitter, after the game. "I've got four kids and one on the way. Can't keep calling me a woman. He got quiet though. So it was fine."
The player also felt that the reference to Reese was too much of a disrespect for what she has done in her young career and is still capable of doing.
The NBA investigated the incident and found no reason to fine or suspend Green, but did issue a warning to prevent a repeat offense. The fan, too, got to stay and continue to watch the game, although his beloved Pelicans lost for the fifth straight time.
Player-fan verbal jabs are and will continue to be a part of the NBA, as they add an extra dimension to the overall experience of watching it.
The Green incident, however, is a further reminder that, like in anything else, there should be balance in how it is approached by both the players and the fans. Good thing nothing untoward happened.
Related: Draymond Green explained why he's talking trash so much: "Everybody's susceptible to that"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
