Draymond Green: Suspended Indefinitely from the NBA

By Emily Cheigh

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA in the face of his incident with Jusuf Nurkic on Tuesday night. The requirements for his return to play include his obligation to meet certain team and league conditions. 

On Tuesday night, Draymond Green was ejected during the third quarter for clocking Jusuf Nurkic in the face. The Warriors were leading 65-60 against the Suns with over 8 minutes remaining in the quarter when Nurkic and Green clashed. Holding the right side of Green’s body, Nurkic was attempting to prevent Green from breaking open. In a violent response, Draymond Green spun toward Nurkic and swung his right arm towards his face. Nurkic, a 6’11”, 290 lbs center, came thundering to the ground. Immediately ejected from the game, Green returned to the locker room without protest. 

Draymond Green is definitely no stranger to ejections. His latest was less than a month ago after putting Ruby Gobert in a headlock 2 minutes into the Warriors vs. Timberwolves game. However, the difference, to me, is that the incident with Gobert was somewhat understandable because it was a direct result of conflict with a group of players. Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels were having their own scrap when Gobert decided to split them up, prompting Green to grab his neck. While the grab was not necessary nor tolerable, he wasn’t the one who started the conflict. Conversely, he had no reason to whirl around and swing at Nurkic this past Tuesday. So far, Green has claimed it to be an accident. Other notable suspensions and ejections come from shoving Donovan Mitchell, punching Jordan Poole, and stomping on Domantas Sabonis’s chest. Famously, in 2016, Green hit LeBron James below the belt in the NBA Finals, prompting a one-game suspension and an on-court advantage in favor of the Cavs. During his 11 seasons in the NBA, Green has accumulated 18 ejections. 

In the face of Green’s “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts”, the NBA hopes to allow him the time and counseling he needs to deal with these challenges. If Green’s suspension lasts fewer than 20 games, he will be fined $153,941 per game and if the suspension is greater than 20 games, he’ll be docked $202,922 per game. Due to his inability to control himself on the court, the Warriors have lost a key player on the floor. The Warriors are currently sitting at 10-13 and need Draymond Green more than ever. The Warriors are set to address his suspension at the shootaround on Thursday in LA.