Draymond Green suspended indefinitely by NBA for swinging at Suns C Jusuf Nurkić
Draymond Green was suspended for 5 games earlier this season after he put Rudy Gobert in a chokehold
Draymond Green was suspended indefinitely by the NBA on Wednesday after the Golden State Warriors veteran's ejection for swinging at Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić on Tuesday night, marking Green’s second suspension this season.
In its announcement, the league said Green will "be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play." It's unclear what that means specifically or how long Green will be out. The league took "into account Green's repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts" when determining this suspension, it said.
Green, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, is expected to meet with Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and Green's agent Thursday to start discussing a "path of counseling and help for Green to move forward."
Draymond Green ejected after swinging at Jusuf Nurkić
In the third quarter of the Warriors’ 119-116 loss to the Suns on Tuesday night in Phoenix, Green started jostling with Nurkić for position on an inbounds play. Then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Green spun around and swung. He hit Nurkić directly in his face with his right hand, which sent the 7-footer to the court.
Green was quickly assessed a foul, which was upgraded to a flagrant 2. As a result, he was ejected from the game.
Draymond Green was ejected from Warriors-Suns after this flagrant foul on Jusuf Nurkic.
(via @BleacherReport)pic.twitter.com/6wFJIp7htu— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 13, 2023
"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," Green said after the game, via ESPN. "I sell calls with my arms ... so I was selling the call ... and I swung and unfortunately I hit him."
Nurkić said Green's swing "had nothing to do with basketball." Suns coach Frank Vogel slammed Green after the game, too, calling his move "a reckless, dangerous play."
"I'm sensitive to our guys getting hit on plays like that," Vogel said, via ESPN. "I didn't like it. The refs did what they had to do. The league will do what they have to do."
This latest incident came just weeks after Green returned from his previous five-game suspension, which he was hit with after he put Minnesota Timberwolves forward Rudy Gobert into a chokehold. Green, with that in-season tournament game last month still tied 0-0, flew in and put Gobert into a chokehold after Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels and Warriors guard Klay Thompson got into it, which sparked a larger altercation.
Green did not apologize for his actions after that game, and said he would always defend his teammates, but admitted there “is room for growth and I need to be better in those moments in different situations.”
Green was suspended for “escalating an on-court altercation” after the chokehold incident, which was decided in part due to Green’s “history of unsportsmanlike acts.” The NBA used the same rationale with this suspension.
This latest suspension is now Green’s sixth of his career. He was suspended last postseason after he stomped on the chest of Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis. Green now has 18 regular-season ejections in his career, which is the most among any active player in the league. He’s been ejected three times already this season or 20% of the games he's played in.
Green entered Tuesday’s game averaging 9.7 points, 5.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds this season, his 12th in the league. With the loss to the Suns, the Warriors have dropped to 10-13. They'll next take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, without Green.
