Joe Lacob Reveals Why Draymond Green Was Not Suspended

The Golden State Warriors chose not to suspend Draymond Green for opening night against the Los Angeles Lakers

Joe Rondone-USA TODAY Sports

Draymond Green is set to play against the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night, and will not face any suspension for punching Jordan Poole. It was assumed that Golden State's opening night ring ceremony played a big part in their decision not to suspend Green, and owner Joe Lacob confirmed that to be the case during a pre-game segment.

When talking before Tuesday's opener, Lacob said that Green undoubtedly made a mistake, but has earned a lot of equity within the organization, and deserves to participate in ring night.

“He earned this [ring ceremony]. I wouldn’t take that away from him.”

Joe Lacob shares why Draymond didn’t get suspended for his altercation with JP pic.twitter.com/b4Q01WuUd8

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 19, 2022

Stating that he did not want to take ring night away from Green, Lacob explained why the veteran forward was not suspended, even if his actions warranted such a punishment. This was a very complicated situation for the Warriors, as they were forced to make a decision that would have received criticism one way or another. The hope amongst the team is that the incident can soon become a thing of the past.

The Warriors have not hid from how big of an incident this was, but looking strictly at the punishment issued, it could seem that way. Steve Kerr emphasized how big of a situation this was when addressing the media, and nearly everyone else has shared the same sentiments. That said, the team had to manage a lot of different elements when contemplating punishment, and ultimately decided that Green should be present on ring night.

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