The NBA has a Draymond Green problem. On Wednesday, it finally decided to do something about it.
Sports :
Draymond Green is a 4-time NBA champion for the Golden State Warriors, a 4-time NBA All-Star, a 2-time member of the All-NBA Team, and a 2-time Olympic gold medalist. He’s also a disturbed man with a ton of demons that have gotten him into trouble throughout his professional basketball career.
Let’s take a look at his history:
- In 2016, Draymond Green was suspended for Game 5 of the NBA finals after punching LeBron James in the groin area. He received a Flagrant 1 for the incident which led to an automatic suspension since he had already racked up 3 Flagrant fouls during the postseason that year.
- In 2018, the Golden State Warriors suspended Green due to an altercation he instigated with then-teammate Kevin Durant. The incident was instrumental in Durant leaving the Warriors at the end of the season.
- At a training camp practice ahead of the 2022-23 season, Green got into a verbal altercation with teammate Jordan Poole. The exchange turned violent when Green punched Poole in the face, knocking him out cold.
- During the 2023 NBA Playoffs between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings, Green stomped on the chest of Sacramento All-Star Domantas Sabonis during Game 2 and was ultimately suspended by the NBA for the following game.
- In November of 2023, Draymond Green was suspended 5 games without pay after forcibly grabbing Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert around the neck and dragging him down in an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner.
- In just his sixth game back from a 5-game suspension following the Gobert altercation, Green backhanded Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurcic in the face. He was called for a Flagrant 2 foul and immediately ejected.
“What’s going on with him, I don’t know,” Nurcic said after being slapped in the face. “Personally, I feel like that brother needs help. I’m glad he didn’t try to choke me. At the same time, it ain’t nothing to do with basketball. I’m just out there trying to play basketball. I think we saw that often, but I hope whatever he got in his life gets better.”
The NBA doesn’t know what’s going on with him either, but they’ve now decided that enough is enough.
According to Sports Illustrated, the NBA announced on Wednesday that they have suspended Draymond Green indefinitely.
In a statement, the NBA said:
“Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. This outcome takes into account Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts. The incident occurred with 8:23 remaining in the third quarter of the Warriors’ 119-116 loss to the Suns on Dec. 12 at Footprint Center. Green received a Flagrant Foul 2 and was ejected. Green’s suspension will begin immediately. He will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play.”
In additional details provided by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Green will be required to undergo an extensive counseling program before being allowed to return. He will be docked $153,941 per game if his suspension is fewer than 20 games and $202,922 per game if more than 20 games.
The NBA added that the suspension will last for as long as it takes Green to overcome his troubles.
OK WASSUP! discusses Sports News:
NBA’s Draymond Green is suspended indefinitely.
I’m not a doctor (psychiatrist) but I am a mental health professional who has worked in this field for almost 30 yrs. At the very least this man definitely has stress and anger management issues. The NBA can mandate that he undergo a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation but they can’t make him approach any of this from a serious perspective. And therein lies his biggest problem!
He makes a ton of money. He can afford the best of whatever treatment he needs. But he obviously doesn’t think he needs help. Or worse, he knows he’s not well but doesn’t really give a d*mn so he refuses to get help or to take treatment seriously.