Draymond Green has a single aspiration for the twilight of his NBA career: to avoid resembling Charles Barkley during his time with the Houston Rockets. The 36-year-old Golden State Warriors forward shared this sentiment with the 63-year-old Barkley before the New York Knicks' playoff victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
Filling in for Shaquille O'Neal on TNT's Inside the NBA, Green discussed the current state of the Warriors, who missed the playoffs this season and now face an uncertain future. When Barkley reminded him that everything ends and that sports are for young people, Green fired back.
'I think the goal is just to not look like you in the Houston Rockets uniform,' Green told Barkley.
Sir Charles remained stoic, while co-host Kenny Smith prompted Green to elaborate. 'Did you see it?' Green asked. Barkley did not take the bait, but fans were quick to react on social media.
'I generally love the show, but I turn it off when Draymond is on,' one fan commented on X. Another remarked, 'Barkley was right. Green is a jerk.' A third critic questioned why Green is featured on the show, calling the decision 'beyond ridiculous.'
Barkley was coming off ten consecutive All-Star selections when the Phoenix Suns traded him to Houston in 1996 for Chucky Brown, Mark Bryant, Sam Cassell, and Robert Horry. Although Barkley faced criticism for his defense and conditioning in the late 1990s, he remained a reliable post scorer and rebounder, averaging 17 points and 12.6 rebounds per game over his final four NBA seasons. His scoring dipped partly because he shared the ball with future Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.
Barkley's supporters were quick to point out that Green's averages of 8.4 points and 5.5 rebounds in the 2025-26 season pale in comparison to Barkley's late-career production. 'The lack of self-awareness this guy has is amazing,' one fan wrote on X. 'Houston Chuck is better than peak Draymond.' Another added, '[I don't know] why he said this because Charles' last season was better than Draymond's best.'
