The San Antonio Spurs’ breakthrough season ended with a trip to the NBA Finals, but it was what happened after the final buzzer that drew criticism from Draymond Green.
Speaking on The Draymond Green Show, the four-time NBA champion said he was disappointed to see Spurs players leave the court without publicly congratulating the New York Knicks after their championship-clinching victory in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
“To see [the Spurs] walk off the court, it was disheartening,” Green said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I’ll blame it on youth. I’ll blame it on lacking the leader to show them that ‘hey, this is what you do. Not walk off.’”
The Knicks secured their first NBA title in 53 years with a 94-90 victory in San Antonio, completing a 4-1 series win. As had become a theme throughout the Finals, New York erased another double-digit deficit, rallying from 16 points down behind a historic performance from Jalen Brunson.
Brunson scored 45 points, including 13 consecutive Knicks points in the fourth quarter. The total set a franchise Finals record, surpassing the previous mark of 38 points established by Willis Reed during the 1970 championship run. New York also became champions after overcoming double-digit deficits in all four of its series victories.
Green, who has played in six NBA Finals and won four championships with the Golden State Warriors, said losing teams still have an obligation to acknowledge the opponent’s accomplishment.
“There’s a way to win and there’s a way to lose,” Green said. “And walking off the court, not looking your killer in his eyes, ain’t the way to lose. I hate it.”
The veteran forward pointed to Brunson’s own actions immediately after the game as an example of the respect he believes should exist between competitors.
Green noted that one of Brunson’s first moves after securing the championship was to seek out Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson.
“What’s the first thing Jalen Brunson did? Beeline to Mitch Johnson. Respect. Much respect,” Green said. “I would have loved for the Spurs players to be there for them to shake the Knicks’ hands.”
The criticism comes after a season in which San Antonio exceeded expectations. The Spurs finished 62-20, second in the Western Conference, before defeating the Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder to reach the Finals. Their postseason run was fueled by a young core led by Victor Wembanyama and rookie Dylan Harper.
Wembanyama delivered another strong performance in the deciding game, finishing with 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks. Harper led San Antonio with 25 points. But after leading by 10 in the first quarter and 16 in the second, the Spurs could not hold off New York’s latest comeback.
Green emphasized that his criticism stems from his belief in San Antonio’s future rather than disappointment in the team’s competitiveness.
“I hated to see those young Spurs do it because I actually think they’re capable of doing something special,” Green said. He added that he would encourage Spurs players to personally reach out to Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart to congratulate them on the championship.
