It was the nut-shot heard 'round the world. During Friday night's Warriors game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James knocked over Warrior's power forward Draymond Green. According to ESPN, James then stepped over Green, prompting what appeared to be a shot at James's balls from the grounded man — an action that both got Green suspended from tonight's Game 5 and earned the praise of basketball legend Charles Barkley.
“When a guy steps over you, you have a moral obligation to punch him in the balls," Barkley said on SiriusXM Bleacher Report Radio over the weekend. "Because that’s really disrespectful to step over a guy. You’re supposed to pop him in his junk if he steps over you like that.”
But Barkley, who according to CBS Sports is not exactly a Golden State Warriors fan, went even further.
"That's a perfectly fine response," he continued. "You got to act like you didn't try to do it; I will admit that. When somebody steps over you, they're doing that intentionally to rub it in your face."
"They're deliberately trying to punk you in that situation," he added.
Regardless of the moral righteousness of the ball-shot, Green will not play in tonight's (potentially series ending) game in Oakland. As officials ruled Green's actions were a flagrant foul, his fourth of the playoffs, he can't even be in the arena. Instead, reports ESPN, he'll watch the A's game next door.
Game 5 starts tonight at 6:00 p.m. in Oakland.
