Draymond Green fires back at 'clown' Dillon Brooks ahead of Warriors-Grizzlies matchup

There's no love lost between the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies, and as the two teams prepare to square off in Memphis on Thursday, Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks are adding more fuel to the fire.

Green unleashed a fiery rant on "The Draymond Green Show" podcast Wednesday against Brooks, who he called an "idiot" and "clown." Green's comments were a direct response to Brooks' recent interview, where the Grizzlies star flat out said: "I don't like Draymond at all. I just don't like Golden State. I don't like anything to do with them."

"I, quite frankly, wouldn’t like a team that beats me all the time either," Green said. "You were a little kid in high school watching us win championships. You should be happy that you even witnessed that… You’re a fan."

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The budding rivalry between the Warriors and Grizzlies reached a climax last season during the Western Conference semifinals when Brooks was ejected for a Flagrant Foul 2 on Warriors guard Gary Payton II in Game 3. Brooks was suspended one game for the play that subsequently broke Payton's elbow. The Warriors advanced with a 4-2 series win and Payton didn’t return until the NBA Finals.

Brooks reignited the feud recently by saying no one would know who Green was if it weren't for the Warriors: "His game is cool -- with Golden State -- but if you put him anywhere else, you're not going to know who Draymond is. He plays with heart, plays hard, knows the ins and outs of their defense. I guess that's why they like him over there."

On Wednesday, Green said Brooks' comments highlight his low basketball IQ.

"If you ever wondered why the Memphis Grizzlies is not ready to compete for a championship, look no further than this idiot right here," Green said. "Your level of understanding the game of basketball is at a fan level. And you’re running around talking about a dynasty? The dynasty starts after you, not with you. That’s just a fact. I know dynasty-like players. They aren’t clowns. That doesn’t work when building a dynasty."

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The Warriors have won both games against the Grizzlies so far this season, including a Christmas Day matchup at home, where six Warriors received technical fouls. Both teams will play each other two more times before the end of the season, including Thursday's matchup in Memphis.

Both teams have plenty of bulletin board material.

The Grizzlies will be without leader Ja Morant as he takes time away from the court to seek help after he appeared to flash a gun on an Instagram video over the weekend.

Contributing: Jaylon Thompson

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Draymond Green rants at Dillon Brooks before Warriors-Grizzlies game