"Don't forget about the Grizzlies": Draymond Green name drops Warriors' rivals in latest commercial with KIA

During a new commercial for KIA, Draymond Green made a cheeky mention of the Memphis Grizzlies. Green was playing basketball with his daughter when the ball flew into the trees, and she asked about wolves in the woods, after which the four-time NBA champ said:

"Don't forget about the Grizzlies."

Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors have a longstanding rivalry with the Memphis Grizzlies dating back to 2019, when the Grizzlies acquired Andre Iguodala. At the time, Iguodala was fresh off a memorable run with the Golden State Warriors. He sat out, notably saying on First Take that doing so added years to his career.

The situation didn't go over well with the Grizzlies, with several of the players expressing an eagerness to move past the situation and part ways with Iguodala. Although the former Finals MVP landed with the Heat before eventually making his way back to Golden State, the beef was already underway.

When fate lined the two teams up for a number of high-stakes showdowns over the next several seasons, the games never failed to deliver. With plenty of shade being thrown on and off the court in the form of celebrations, tweets, and verbal jabs, the beef continued to grow.

Do the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies have a rivalry? Looking at what Steph Curry and Draymond Green have said about the two teams

The Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies have faced off in the playoffs 12 times in the past. Most recently, the two teams battled it out in May 2022, when their playoff series went six games.

Notably, the series' second-generation hooper Gary Payton II suffered a fractured elbow in what the Warriors believe was a dirty play. After the game, coach Steve Kerr took aim at the play, arguing that Dillon Brooks broke player code.

Given that, there certainly seems to be a bit of animosity between the two teams, with Dillon Brooks notably taking aim at Draymond Green specifically. Speaking with ESPN, Brooks stated, in part:

"I don't like Draymond at all. I just don't like Golden State. I don't like anything to do with them. Draymond talks a lot. Gets away with a lot, too."

Despite the comments, both Draymond Green and Steph Curry seem to be in agreement that there's no rivalry between the two teams. Speaking to reporters during the playoffs, Green stated:

"Rivalries are created by you win, I win. Clearly, we've won four times, and their organization has zero championships, so I can't consider that a rivalry."

The sentiment seems to be one shared by former MVP Steph Curry. When Curry was asked whether there was a rivalry, he simply told media members:

"I don't want to be short, but ... no."

Although Green and Curry don't seem to believe there's any sort of rivalry, the decision to name-drop the Grizzlies in a KIA commercial could fuel more bad blood. Of course, Dillon Brooks, arguably the main source of the beef on the Grizzlies side, is no longer with the team.