Draymond Green is what one can describe as a “necessary evil.” The Golden State Warriors forward is a phenomenal player and teammate. He has undeniably been the anchor of the Warriors’ defense and the overall heartbeat of their team, playing a crucial role in their winning four NBA championships in the last nine years. His résumé speaks for itself as he has made four All-Star games, two All-NBA teams, eight All-Defensive teams, led the league in steals, and won a Defensive Player Of The Year award.
If you only looked at the career highlights section of his Wikipedia page, you’d wonder why anyone wouldn’t want to have him on their roster. Well, the problem is that his competitive nature has often led to unsavory behavior on and off the court. He is a heavy trash talker and often resorts to underhanded methods to gain an advantage on the court. He hosts his own podcast, The Draymond Green Show, which he has used as an additional measure of calling out his peers in the league, addressing his many infamous scuffles on the court, and getting under the skin of his opponents.
Most recently, he was involved in a physical altercation with Memphis Grizzlies players Santi Aldama and Desmond Bane, which ultimately led to Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins falling to the floor. This came after he served two separate suspensions during the 2023-2024 regular season, which we’ll get to later. It seems like any time there is drama on the court, Draymond Green is either the catalyst or finds a way to get involved. It has become such a constant that fans online have made compilations of the many times he has simply done too much; one of them is almost 15 minutes long!
Will he ever change? Probably not, and that’s even after attending league-mandated counseling. Draymond Green is who he is, and while we should not celebrate violence taking place in a globally televised sport that kids and aspiring hoopers watch, we can’t help but be a little entertained at how audacious this man can be. Many not-so-great moments won’t make this list, such as stomping on Domantas Sabonis’ chest, arguing with former teammate Kevin Durant, or chasing down Kevin Porter from across the court and tackling him. Still, join VIBE as we look back at five times Draymond Green has simply done too much in the NBA.
Jordan Poole Punch
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Competition brings out the best and worst of people, but you never want it to cause friction between teammates. Months after winning the NBA Finals, tempers flared between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole. Footage surfaced online of the two getting into a verbal joust during practice in October 2022.
Green walked across the court to get into Poole’s face and as the argument continued, he punched his teammate. Green was handed yet another fine for this altercation, but was not suspended for any games. He publicly apologized to his younger teammate, citing his embarrassment with his family members and the world seeing him get punched in a video.
Many people believe that their tension stemmed from both players seeking contract extensions at the time. Yahoo Sports reported that multiple Golden State Warriors players saw a change in Poole’s behavior and if there’s anyone who doesn’t like to deal with egos, it is Draymond Green. He had a history of going at his teammates, calling former Warriors player Kevin Durant a “bi**h” in 2018 and saying the team didn’t need him. But things never got physical until Jordan Poole.
Choking Rudy Gobert
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This moment was purely charged by hate. Draymond Green found his way into a scuffle that began with his teammate Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels, yet somehow the situation ended with him choking Rudy Gobert from behind. Let’s explain how it got there.
Thompson and McDaniels got chippy with one another in the Golden State Warriors‘ and Minnesota Timberwolves’ November 2023 matchup. It began with shoving and grabbing each others’ jerseys, which got so intense that the referees blew their whistles to stop the game. Gobert jumped into the action and tried to separate the two, which Green saw as his moment to strike. He got his hands around Gobert’s neck and put him in a sleeper hold. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns tried their best to separate the two, but Green wouldn’t let go.
After finally getting him loose, the referees ejected Green, Thompson, and McDaniels. Now, the reasons why it seems like Green attacking Gobert seemed pent up stem back to subtle jabs the two threw at each other over X, formerly known as Twitter. In October 2022, Gobert tweeted “Insecurity is always loud” after the news broke of Draymond Green punching his former teammate Jordan Poole.
Green, petty as ever, retaliated several months later with the same tweet on the same day Rudy Gobert punched his teammate Kyle Anderson during a timeout. Twitter fingers turn to choking arms, and those arms got Green a five-game suspension.
Striking Jusuf Nurkic
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This was the moment when the NBA said enough is enough. Less than a month after choking Rudy Gobert and serving a five-game suspension, Draymond Green was at it again. In December 2023, the Golden State Warriors took on the Phoenix Suns and Jusuf Nurkic was responsible for guarding Draymond Green.
Green attempted to get into position to receive a pass, and Nurkic made that very difficult on him. Draymond went to do a spin mov, and flung his arms like a helicopter blade as he struck the Suns’ big man in the face. After Nurkic immediately fell to the ground, Green was called for a flagrant two-foul and ejected from the game.
Joe Dumars announced that Draymond Green would be suspended indefinitely and have to attend mandated counseling sessions due to his “history of unsportsmanlike conduct” in the NBA. He was reinstated this past January and revealed that at one point he considered retiring, only to be talked out of it by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
LeBron James Groin Shot
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It almost sounds too good to be true looking back. The Golden State Warriors overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals and found their way to an NBA Finals rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They gained a 3-1 advantage over LeBron James and Co. in a reversal of fortunes before losing three straight games, marking the first time any team overcame a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. Many people believe, to this day, that the Cavaliers were able to come back due to Draymond Green getting suspended after a Game 4 altercation with James.
Green attempted to set a screen on Bron, and things got physical between the two. James gained the upper hand and sent Draymond to the floor. He then attempted to step over Green, an act that many NBA players view as disrespectful. The Warriors forward retaliated by swinging his arm up at LeBron and hitting him in his groin.
LeBron James grew infuriated and turned around to get into Draymond Green’s face. Things got chippy later on when they both went for a rebound, and their intensity led to officials and teammates needing to separate them. James received a technical foul and Green received a flagrant foul in the Warriors’ 108-97 victory over the Cavaliers. The NBA later announced that Draymond would be suspended for Game 5 of the NBA Finals due to accruing enough flagrant points to warrant a suspension, plus a $129,000 fine.
Of course, this led to a historic comeback for the Cavaliers and many people asking “What if?” One of the biggest “What if’s” should be: “What if Draymond Green kept his composure?” He and the Warriors’ core could have more rings than LeBron James right now.
Steven Adams Groin Shot
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The 2016 Western Conference Finals matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder was historic. The Warriors, the defending NBA Champions, were looking to get back to the NBA Finals but faced a 3-1 deficit against a very game Thunder team led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. They ultimately overcame the deficit, but there’s one particular moment within that series that has stood the test of time.
Draymond Green went up for a layup against then-Thunder big man Steven Adams and was fouled. However, Adams was the one who ended up falling to the floor. A replay showed that Green kicked Adams in the groin while attempting to make his shot. This was the second time in that series that the Warriors forward made contact with the New Zealand hooper’s private area, leading many to believe that the second act was intentional.
Draymond Green avoided suspension; instead, he was handed a flagrant one foul which was later upgraded to a flagrant two foul and $25,000 fine. While people already suspected that he did that on purpose, his behavior in the years following has only strengthened their beliefs that he really wanted to hurt Steven Adams.
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