Draymond Green slight prompts laughter from Doc Rivers

Reporting from Oklahoma City — They were three words presumably intended to intensify one of the NBA’s most toxic rivalries.

Instead, Golden State forward Draymond Green’s verbal slight toward Doc Rivers prompted a smile and laughter Tuesday morning from the Clippers coach.

“It makes me happy that I could get someone mad,” Rivers said. “That probably made my day.”

Green had used Rivers’ given name, Glenn, in a radio interview Monday when informed of comments Rivers had made about Clippers reserve Dahntay Jones bumping Green during a postgame interview Sunday at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Rivers told reporters Monday “the bump was too hard for him, clearly, the way he reacted. My goodness. I thought the guy was tough.”

Green’s response?

“Cool story, Glenn,” Green said during his radio interview.

Rivers seemed to enjoy the latest salvo in the ongoing conflict between the Clippers and Warriors, which has included technical fouls, ejections and even a hallway confrontation after a playoff game. The NBA fined Jones $10,000 for his bump of Green, though Jones said he would appeal the penalty.

“Clearly,” Rivers said of the Warriors, “they’re thinking about us more than we know.”

Rivers, who was given the nickname Doc by former Marquette assistant coach Rick Majerus at a basketball camp because he was wearing a T-shirt bearing the likeness of Julius Erving, the famed Dr. J., said the only people who called him Glenn were his mother and legendary coach Pat Riley, when they were mad at him.

“I guess Draymond is now in that same category,” Rivers said, laughing.