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When Passion Turns to Penalties: A Look Back on Draymond Green's Ugliest Moments
By Jeremy Strause
March 3rd, 2024
Draymond Green has just returned after an indefinite suspension. On December 12th, Green was given a suspension for hitting Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic. The suspension lasted 12 games and saw Green at his ultimate low point. He was so rattled, Green considered retirement. On the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, Green explained that he had told NBA Commissioner Adam Silver that he was going to retire but Silver snapped him out of it.
“I just told him, ‘Adam this is too much for me. … This is too much. It’s all becoming too much for me and I’m going to retire,’” Green said. “ Silver said, ‘You’re making a very rash decision, and I won’t let you do that.” Now that Green is returning to the court, let's take a look back at his suspensions and iconic acts of violence.
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
2016: NBA Finals Game 5 suspension for altercation with LeBron
In the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors led 2-1 heading into game four of the series. With three minutes remaining and the Warriors leading 96-86, Green and Lebron James got tangled up at half-court, and Green hit the floor after the collision. As he stood up, Green swung his arm, hitting Lebron in the groin area.
At first, the call was a double foul on Lebron and Green, but after review, Green was issued a flagrant foul. This was Green’s fourth flagrant foul throughout the course of the playoffs, resulting in an automatic one-game suspension. Although the Warriors won game four 108-97, the Cavaliers swept the series’ final three games, bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Cleveland. Green’s suspension is one of the biggest controversies in recent NBA history and could be the reason the Warriors don’t have an eighth ring.
2018-19: Suspension for fight with teammate Kevin Durant
In the final seconds of a tied November twelfth regular season game against the Clippers, Green recovered a defensive rebound and decided to go coast-to-coast into traffic, turning the ball over. During this play, Kevin Durant was wide open, actively calling for the ball.
This play led to the game going into overtime, and the Warriors eventually lost 121-116. After the final play of regulation, Durant was visibly irritated , leading to a public argument with Green. The argument started in between the end of regulation and overtime and continued to the locker room after the game. As a result, the team suspended Green for “conduct detrimental to the team.” More importantly, many believe the conflict sprouted Durant’s eventual departure to the Brooklyn Nets.
GETTY IMAGES
2022-23: Suspended for season-long technical foul limit
With 40 seconds left in the first half of a late regular season game, Green received his 16th technical foul for throwing the ball at Russell Westbrook in a 134-126 loss against the Clippers leading to a one-game suspension without pay. According to NBA rules, a player or coach receives a one-game suspension without pay after their sixteenth technical foul. Green’s suspension took place on March 16th against the Hawks, where Golden State lost by eight.
2023-24: Suspended for Fight with Rudy Gobert
On November 13th, less than two minutes into an in-season tournament game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, an altercation between Jaden McDaniels and Klay Thompson sparked Green to throw himself in the midst of the dispute.
Gobert was one of the players in the middle of the dispute. Once Gobert laid his hands on Klay, Green wrapped his hands around Gobert’s neck. These actions led to a first-quarter ejection for Green and ultimately a five-game suspension. This marks the 4th suspension in Green’s career.
AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn
2022-23: Fined for punching teammate Jordan Poole
Although this action didn’t result in a suspension, it will go down as one of the most disreputable incidents in Green’s career. In a practice before the beginning of the season, leaked footage showed Draymond Green and Jordan Poole getting into a heated argument over a drill, which escalated into Green punching Poole directly in the jaw. According to Green, “That day, that week, I was dealing with something in my life so heavy. I don't wanna share exactly what that is, but that day I wasn't able to lose myself in that practice. And so because I was not able to lose myself in that practice, everything that was going on in camp, I'm already on ten.”The Warriors had Green take some time off from the team and come back by the start of the season.
2016: Fined for kicking Steven Adams in the groin area
In the 2016 Western Conference Finals Game 3, Green was going up for a layup contested by Thunder center Steven Adams. During the jump up, Green kicked out his right leg, making contact with Adams’ groin area. Green was fined 25,000 dollars for the incident.
2017: Fined for fight against Bradley Beal
In the last seconds before the half of a (month) Warriors versus Wizards game, Green and Bradley Beal collided physically in the paint while fighting for a rebound. The physicality led to shoving and eventually wrestling. Green was fined another 25,000 dollars for this altercation.
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
While Green will go down as one of the best and winningest power forwards of our generation, he will be also considered one of the dirtiest players of the modern era. Throughout Green’s career, he has marked up 163 total technical fouls and an estimated $1.26 million worth of fines.