Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green finds himself in hot water with the NBA once again. The four-time champion has been suspended indefinitely after taking a swipe at the face of Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic.
This represents the second time during the 2023-24 season that Green has been suspended. He was banned five times earlier in the campaign for putting Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold.
In order to even be considered for reinstatement, Green will now have to go through counseling while working with both the NBA and the Warriors. He will also have to meet certain criteria before a return to the court.
The Association’s decision to suspend Green indefinitely is no surprise given his history. Here, we’ll take a look at five times Draymond Green lost his mind on the court.
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5. Draymond Green’s action leads to Kevin Durant’s exit
It was back in November of 2018 that the Golden State Warriors suspended Green a game for an altercation with then-teammate Kevin Durant. In the closing moments of a 121-116 loss to the Clippers, Green failed to pass the ball to Durant. The two-time NBA Finals MVP was shown upset on the sideline.
Green ended up unloading a rant in Durant’s direction after the game, leading to the Warriors suspending him for a game. The scene on Golden State’s bench was not great.
The rest is pretty much history. KD suffered a torn Achilles in an NBA Finals loss to the Toronto Raptors. He would then sign with the Brooklyn Nets in free agency during the summer of 2019. This situation played a role in Durant’s departure from the Warriors.
Durant ultimately believes that the organization played a role in him being unable to resolve the situation with Green. The crazy thing here is that it came early in a season in which the Dubs were going for a third consecutive NBA title.
4. Green stomps on Domantas Sabonis
With his Warriors looking to defend their championship again during the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Green played the role of a hot head. It came in the first round against the Sacramento Kings. He stomped on the chest of Sacramento All-Star Domantas Sabonis during Game 2 and was ultimately suspended for the following game.
Golden State ended up winning Game 3 and taking the series in seven. But there is no telling how Green’s actions impacted the Warriors. They lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference semifinals after being taken the distance in the first round. Green’s Warriors lost Game 2 after he was ejected.
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3. Draymond Green punches Jordan Poole months after winning title
Noticing somewhat of a theme here with Green? A lot of his altercations have come in high-stress situations or with his team coming off a championship. This was no more true than during a training camp practice ahead of the 2022-23 season. Golden State was months removed from winning the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Jordan Poole had played a huge role in that title run.
With Poole in line for a huge extension, his attitude seemed to change with his teammates. The guard then got into an argument with Green during practice ahead of the season. It led to Draymond punching Poole in the face. Once the video became public record, things spiraled.
“I just don’t hit people. Dialogue of course happens over time and you usually ain’t just triggered by something that fast [and] that degree. This is a team. Ain’t nobody on my team is triggering me in an instant. We know stuff that you don’t say amongst men. You know what I’m saying? We know things that you have to stand on. I just don’t hit people.”
Draymond Green on incident with Jordan Poole
This ended up acting as a dark cloud hanging over the then-defending champion Warriors. Drama was the name of the game behind the scenes. Poole and Green never had the same relationship. Golden State ended up shipping Poole off to the Washington Wizards in a trade involving Chris Paul. It ended a high-upside career in Northern California and broke up a championship core. Green losing his mind played a role in this.
2. Just back from suspension, Draymond acts part of a bonehead
In just his sixth outing back from a five-game suspension after putting Gobert in a chokehold, Green found himself in hot water again. This time, it came with him backhanding Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurcic in the face. Green was handed a Flagrant 2 and immediately ejected.
“What’s going on with him, I don’t know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help. I’m glad he didn’t try to choke me,” Nurkic on Draymond Green.
Green’s reputation continued to take a hit after this most-recent incident. It led to him receiving an unprecedented indefinite suspension. It could also lead to the Warriors divorcing themselves from Green altogether.
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1. Draymond Green suspended for Game 5 of 2016 NBA Finals
The first real incident that caught the attention of the NBA world came in Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors found themselves up 2-1 against Cleveland and looking to take a stranglehold on the series.
That’s when Draymond made contact with James’ groin area. Green received a Flagrant 1 for the incident. It led to a suspension because he had already racked up three Flagrant fouls during the postseason that year.
The rest is pretty much history. Golden State would win Game 4 before failing to close the series out at home in Game 5 with Green watching from a suite at the Oakland Coliseum across the parking lot.
Cleveland won Games 6 and 7 to pull off the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history, leading to Golden State failing to repeat as champs after winning 73 regular-season games.