Once again, Draymond Green has found himself at the center of controversy. During the Warriors' In-Season Tournament game against the Timberwolves, Green was ejected less than two minutes into the game after putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock. The altercation started when Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tangled up at halfcourt, and Green decided to insert himself into the situation.
This is not the first time Green has faced sanctions from the NBA. Throughout his career, he has already served four suspensions before receiving his latest five-game ban. He has also had to step away from the Warriors following an incident with a teammate.
One of the most well-known instances of Green's suspensions was during the 2016 NBA Finals. In Game 4, Green and LeBron James got involved in a tussle at halfcourt. As James tried to step over Green, Green extended his arm and made contact with James' groin area. Initially, the call on the court was a double foul. However, the NBA reviewed the play after the game and determined that Green's actions warranted a Flagrant 1 foul. Due to Green's previous flagrant fouls in the playoffs, this fourth point led to his suspension for Game 5. Many believe that this suspension cost the Warriors a championship, as James led the Cavaliers to a historic Game 7 victory.
In 2018, Green was suspended for one game without pay for a confrontation with his teammate, Kevin Durant. Towards the end of a regular season game against the Clippers, Green grabbed a rebound instead of passing to Durant, resulting in a turnover. This led to a heated exchange between the two players on the sidelines, which continued in the locker room. Green's altercation with Durant is often considered a turning point that eventually led to Durant leaving the Warriors.
During the 2022-23 preseason, a video of a Warriors practice leaked, showing Green punching his teammate, Jordan Poole, in the face. Though many expected a team-issued suspension, Green was instead fined and given a few days away from the team.
Late into the 2022-23 season, Green received a one-game suspension without pay for collecting his 16th technical foul of the year. According to NBA rules, once a player reaches their 16th technical foul in the regular season, they are automatically suspended without pay for one game. Green served his suspension in a game against the Hawks, which the Warriors lost.
In his most recent incident, Green has been suspended for five games for putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock during a game against the Timberwolves. Less than two minutes into the contest, Green charged at Gobert and put him in a headlock, resulting in his ejection. Thompson and McDaniels were also ejected for starting the fight.
Throughout his career, Green has been involved in numerous controversial plays. In 2016, he was fined $25,000 for kicking Thunder center Steven Adams in the groin. The following year, he was fined another $25,000 for an altercation with Bradley Beal. In a more recent incident, Green got tangled with Pelicans forward Herb Jones and made a kicking motion, but no further actions were taken.
In addition to his suspensions, Green has accumulated 163 total technical fouls and has had to pay $1,260,100 in fines throughout his NBA career. It remains to be seen how Green's latest suspension will impact both the Warriors and his own reputation.
