Charles Barkley apologizes to Draymond Green for saying he wanted to punch Warriors forward

Tom Gatto

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Charles Barkley apologizes to Draymond Green for saying he wanted to punch Warriors forward image

A chastened Charles Barkley on Wednesday apologized to Warriors forward Draymond Green and Green's mother, Mary Babers-Green, for saying on the air that he wanted to punch Green.

"What I said was inappropriate. I would never punch an NBA player," Barkley said during TNT's "NBA Tip-Off." "I meant what I said (regarding Green's on-court behavior), but I would never punch an NBA player."

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Barkley advocated for assault after Green went chest to chest with Pelicans guard Rajon Rondo at halftime of Golden State's victory in Game 2 of their second-round Western Conference playoff series. Green responded after the game by challenging Barkley to follow through.

"My personal opinion should never come across in a comment I make about a team or a player," Barkley said Wednesday. "It did (Tuesday) night. Draymond is a hell of a player, he's an irritant, he annoys me at times, but he's a hell of a player, but what I said was wrong and I apologize."

Green's mother took potshots at Barkley on Twitter late Tuesday, mainly in reference to Barkley's history for avoiding confrontation on the court.

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto Photo

Tom Gatto joined The Sporting News as a senior editor in 2000 after 12 years at The Herald-News in Passaic, N.J., where he served in a variety of roles including sports editor, and a brief spell at APBNews.com in New York, where he worked as a syndication editor. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of South Carolina.