Draymond Green Addresses NBA’s Decision to Consider Past in Suspension

The forward spoke publicly about the suspension for the first time Friday.

The NBA suspended Draymond Green for Game 3 of the Kings-Warriors series on Thursday night, after the forward stomped on Domantas Sabonis and got into it with the Kings crowd in Game 2. Therefore, Green missed Golden State’s big 114–97 win during his second-ever postseason suspension.

On Friday, for the first time, Green spoke publicly about his suspension, which in part had to do with the fact that he was suspended previously.

“I never knew you could be suspended for a flagrant 2 that happened seven years ago,” Green questioned on his podcast, alluding to when he was suspended for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals for accumulating four flagrant fouls during that year’s playoffs. “I also didn’t know you could get suspended for interacting with a crowd that’s flipping you double birds and yelling your name.”

.@Money23Green offers his thoughts on his Game 3 suspension

Full episode: https://t.co/HRrAzAkD1A pic.twitter.com/DteopL4oOx

— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) April 21, 2023

Although Green said it was tough for him to enjoy the game, he was happy his teammates played well and earned their first win of the series. Still, he said the toughest part of the suspension was feeling as though he was letting down the team.

“Not being able to participate in the dogfight, that’s crushing,” Green said. “You just feel like you’re leaving them out there by themselves, leaving them astray to just figure it out.”

The veteran will return to Golden State’s lineup on Sunday for Game 4, as the Warriors look to even the series.