The Knicks and Golden State Warriors tip off for the second time this season on Saturday evening — which implies Draymond Inexperienced will as soon as once more discover himself in acquainted territory.
Within the scorching seat.
Inexperienced’s explosive and unfounded feedback about Knicks star Karl-Anthony Cities went viral after their first assembly on March 4, igniting controversy, backlash and loads of receipts that aged poorly.
The Warriors ahead questioned Cities’ absence from that recreation, insinuating he was dodging Jimmy Butler, regardless of Cities’ private causes being a way more critical and painful actuality.
By the point the reality got here out, Inexperienced was pressured to stroll again his phrases — although even his try at an apology managed to advertise his personal podcast.
Now, 11 days later, Inexperienced and Cities meet once more — this time with nationwide TV cameras rolling and loads of pressure within the air.
Right here’s a timeline of what occurred, who was fallacious, and the place issues stand coming into Saturday evening’s extremely anticipated rematch.
KNICKS RULE TOWNS OUT VS. GOLDEN STATE (March 4)
The Knicks initially listed Cities as questionable because of private causes on the morning of their March 4 matchup in opposition to the Warriors. The designation raised eyebrows — as there’s a stark distinction between being questionable for private issues vs. coping with an damage, like his beforehand reported proper knee soreness.
Hours later, head coach Tom Thibodeau dominated Cities out for the sport. He remained imprecise on the specifics however made one factor clear: Cities wanted time.
“I can’t answer that. I just don’t know,” Thibodeau stated when requested if Cities would be part of the Knicks on their upcoming five-game highway journey. “When he’s ready to come back, obviously we want him back, but he just needs some time right now.”
The Knicks went on to lose to the Warriors at Madison Sq. Backyard, 114-102. Later that evening, Cities’ girlfriend, Jordyn Woods, posted a pointed message on social media: “F–k cancer.”
That tweet — mixed with Thibodeau’s remarks — strongly steered that Cities’ absence wasn’t basketball-related in any respect, however reasonably as a result of lack of somebody near him.
DRAYMOND SAYS KAT WAS DUCKING BUTLER (March 5)
The Knicks and Warriors confronted off precisely one month after the Feb. 6 NBA commerce deadline — a deadline the place Golden State made waves, buying All-Star ahead Jimmy Butler in a blockbuster cope with the Miami Warmth.
For many, the commerce was a basketball story. However for Cities, Butler’s arrival within the Bay Space inevitably resurfaced an previous, turbulent historical past.
Cities and Butler shared a well-documented, chaotic tenure as teammates underneath Thibodeau in Minnesota — a interval marked by notorious practices, public pressure, and, finally, Butler forcing his means out.
But, forward of the Knicks’ Oct. 30 matchup in opposition to Miami — months earlier than Butler was dealt to Golden State — Cities made it clear: the previous was behind them.
He spoke about burying the hatchet, and in that recreation, the 2 even shared fun on the courtroom.
Then Cities did greater than discuss — he torched Butler’s Warmth for 44 factors in a decisive victory.
Regardless of Cities’ dominant efficiency of their final assembly, Inexperienced had his personal model of the reality.
On an episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” recorded after the Warriors’ win over the Knicks on the Backyard, Inexperienced floated a baseless concept.
“That was a big game for us. And obviously, they ain’t have KAT. Some would say he didn’t play because Jimmy was in the building. I don’t know,” Cities stated on March 6. “I saw KAT’s pops at the game yesterday. I got incredible love for the OG, his pops is an incredible man. But yeah, they say KAT didn’t play because Jimmy came into town. You know him and Jimmy had the infamous practice in Minnesota.
“I don’t know what was hurt. I didn’t look that deep into it to figure out what his injury was or nothing like that.”
The podcast dropped simply after midnight on March 6 — which means Inexperienced’s feedback had been made after Cities’ absence was already public information however earlier than the true motive surfaced.
Draymond GreenTOWNS REJOINS KNICKS IN L.A., PAYS TRIBUTE TO LATE FRIEND (March 6)
Inexperienced’s feedback instantly went viral, fueling on-line hypothesis about Cities’ absence. However inside hours, the true motive got here to mild.
Each Woods and Cities took to Instagram to submit heartfelt tributes to their shut good friend, Sarah Holtzman, who had tragically misplaced her battle with breast most cancers.
Cities rejoined the Knicks in Los Angeles for the primary cease of their five-game West Coast highway journey, the place he lastly addressed his absence.
“They always question how your knees feel and all that, but they never question how you’re doing,” Cities instructed reporters. “So this is one of those moments where I had to be there for my family and be there for the kids that lost somebody really special to them.”
He stored his feelings in verify however made it clear how a lot his workforce’s help meant to him.
“I don’t really want to talk about it. But I do appreciate the organization — my teammates giving me so much grace and support through the time when I really needed it,” he stated. “I really appreciate that a lot, to allow me to go through what I got to go through.
“The job isn’t forgiving, but it’s what we signed up for.”
Karl-Anthony TownsDRAYMOND ACKNOWLEDGES HIS MISTAKE (March 6)
Inexperienced and the Warriors had been nonetheless in New York, wrapping up their East Coast swing with a matchup in opposition to the Nets. After Golden State eked out a slim two-point victory at Barclays Heart, a reporter knowledgeable Inexperienced of the true motive behind Cities’ absence.
His response? A mixture of injury management and self-promotion.
“Oh, man, that’s unfortunate. I’m sorry to hear that. That sucks,” Inexperienced stated. However reasonably than subject a direct apology, he rapidly pivoted again to defending his personal phrases.
“My comments that I made, was that ‘what I heard was this. And that’s what I heard.’ So I do send my well wishes to him and his family. We all experience death in one way or another, and we’ll all experience it the same way one day. So it’s unfortunate. You never wish that on anybody.”
Then, he undermined his personal try at regret — plugging his podcast not as soon as, however twice.
“But the Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis must go on,” he added.
A breath later, he doubled down.
“I definitely wish them well and wish their family well. You know, we all go through that. And it’s never easy for anyone,” Inexperienced continued. “But The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis will go on.”
TOWNS RESPONDS TO DRAYMOND (March 9)
Cities selected to take the excessive highway when requested about Inexperienced’s feedback.
For him, this was greater than basketball.
Cities misplaced his mom, Jacqueline Cruz, to COVID-19 in April 2020, only a month after the pandemic shut down the NBA. In a 2021 episode of “Peace of Mind with Taraji P. Henson,” he revealed that seven different family additionally died from the virus.
So when Holtzman — somebody near each Cities and Woods — misplaced her battle with breast most cancers, he knew precisely the place he wanted to be: together with her three younger youngsters, who had simply misplaced their mom.
The circumstances made Inexperienced’s feedback all of the extra distasteful. However reasonably than hearth again, Cities responded with grace.
“I choose to approach that with love and not hate. That’s all I really care about,” he instructed reporters at Knicks apply in Sacramento on March 9. “I hope no one has to go through what I went through — and what those kids had to go through. Losing a parent is tough.”
HART SAYS DRAYMOND WAS WRONG (March 14)
After Knicks apply in San Francisco on Friday, Josh Hart stood up for his teammate, saying Draymond ought to have owned as much as his mistake with a extra real apology.
“I think KAT handled it the right way,” Hart instructed reporters. “For me, I have my own podcast and all that stuff. Whenever I’m wrong about something, I’ll sit there and say I was.
“For me, I wish he kind of did that — just apologized. You don’t have to be embarrassed, or feel like apologizing when you’re wrong isn’t manly. I wish he did.”
However with the rematch looming, Hart made it clear: “Now that’s in the past,” he stated, “and we’re moving on.”
The Knicks and Warriors sq. off in a nationally televised showdown on ABC/ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday — a recreation that now carries much more weight given Inexperienced’s feedback, Cities’ response, and Butler’s lengthy historical past with the Knicks’ massive man.
Whereas each groups are combating for playoff positioning, the load of Inexperienced’s feedback may make this conflict about extra than simply basketball.
Initially Printed: March 15, 2025 at 10:35 AM EDT
