Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on November 11, 2023 in San Francisco, California.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in his team’s 119-116 defeat on Dec. 12.
Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Green is expected to receive counseling as part of the conditions for him to be able to return to the court:
Green was assessed a flagrant 2 foul and ejected in the third quarter of the contest after he swung his right arm and hit Nurkić in the face.
The four-time All-Star apologized after the game and said the blow was inadvertent.
“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” he told reporters. “I sell calls with my arms … so I was selling the call … and I swung and unfortunately I hit him.”
However, it didn’t help Green’s case that he’s a repeat offender across his NBA career, and this was already his third ejection of the 2023-24 season. In November, he drew a five-game ban after he placed Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock during a scuffle between the two teams.
Speaking publicly for the first time after the incident, the 33-year-old said “I don’t live my life with regrets” and alluded to conversations he had had with team officials.
“The consensus amongst all of us is that I’m going to be me no matter what. That’s not going to change,” he told reporters. “But in saying that, there’s always a better way that something can be done. So it’s figuring out a better way. That’s the consensus among all of us.”
After the Suns game, Kerr appeared to reference those discussions as well but seemed to strike a different tone. He emphasized Green’s value to the team and said the veteran forward needs to “find a way to keep his poise” on the court.
There would be some past seasons in which Golden State could forge ahead with championship aspirations despite losing Green for stretches at a time. That time has since passed, though, with the Big Three of he, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson all into their mid-30s.
The Warriors are 11th in the Western Conference at 10-13. The end of their dynasty was prematurely forecast prior to the 2022 NBA playoffs, but now it looks like the window has closed for good.
For the immediate future, Green’s suspension won’t exactly help Golden State as it attempts to climb into the top six.
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