The NBA suspended Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green indefinitely after punching Phoenix Suns player Jusuf Nurkic in the face during Tuesday’s game.
Los Angeles – Striker Golden State Warriors, Draymond GreenHe was suspended indefinitely by the NBA for punching a Phoenix Suns player in the face. Yusuf Nurkicduring Tuesday night’s game, the league announced Wednesday.
“This finding takes into account the repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts before,” the NBA statement said Draymond Green“.
Draymond Green The league said the player must meet “certain conditions in the league and the team before returning to play.”
Draymond Green He got a flagrant foul of 2 for hitting Yusuf Nurkic He was fired for the third time this season.
The punishment came nearly a month after the last suspension Draymond GreenWhich after five games to stifle the Utah Jazz center, Rudy Gobert.
The league explained that Green’s history as a repeat offender continues to play a role in the severity of the penalties he imposes.
After Green was ejected on Tuesday in Phoenix, he told reporters he did not mean to hit Yusuf Nurkic In his head, but he was just trying to sell the decision. He agreed that the play justified the blatant penalty he was given at the time, but it didn’t seem like it was a big enough problem.
Draymond Green He echoed the same message to the league throughout the interview process on Wednesday. But it doesn’t matter. The Warriors have made it clear to Green that they need him on the court. This need is greater now than ever, as Golden State has a 10-13 record, and two of its most important players, Klay Thompson And Andrew WigginsHowever, they are still suffering from the same problems that afflicted them last season.
“We need him. We need Draymond. He knows it,” coach Steve Kerr said. “We’ve talked to him. He’s got to find a way to stay prepared and be there for his teammates.”
Green acknowledged Kerr’s message, but did not explain in his response what he would have to do to remain available.
“Like I said, if I was going to do this, I would feel really bad not being there,” Green said. “But my intentions were only to sell the ticket.”
A source told ESPN last month that the Warriors lost leverage to discipline Green after not holding him accountable for hitting his former teammate. Jordan Paul In training camp last year.
When green stepped on Domantas Sabonis From Sacramento during the first round of the playoffs, the Warriors championed and supported him. They did the same after their incident with Gobert in November, though Kerr called their actions “inexcusable.”
In Phoenix, when Green swung and hit Nurkic in the jaw in front of the Warriors’ bench, no one had a strong reaction. After the match, Kerr declined the question about the play, saying he had not seen it yet.
But now that Green is out indefinitely, he will have missed most of the Warriors’ games this season due to suspension. Golden State is at a crossroads early in its season, and his absence and repetitive behavior make it more difficult to cross it successfully.