One day after Draymond Green's five game suspension was announced for him putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold during the Warriors' 104-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr had some harsh words for his forward.
Before his Warriors lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, Kerr took to the press conference podium and scolded Green.
"He took it too far," Kerr said. "Draymond was wrong. He knows that. It's a bad look, and the five games are deserved."
Kerr then expanded on his sentiment, adding, "Draymond has to find a way to not cross the line. I'm not talking about getting an ejection or a technical, I'm talking about a physical act of violence. That's inexcusable. We have to do everything we can to give him the help and assistance he needs to be able to draw that distinction between being an incredible competitor ... but he can't cross that line. He crossed it the other night, for sure."
Conduct of this sort isn't uncommon for Green. In fact, the NBA's official press release announcing Green's five game suspension noted that, "the length of the suspension is based in part on Green's history of unsportsmanlike acts."
These five games marks the fifth suspension of Green's NBA career. Before Tuesday's incident, Green's most recent suspension came during the 2023 playoffs, when had to sit out one game after stomping the chest of Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis after the two got tangled up.
Perhaps the most infamous suspension of Green's career came during the 2016 Finals, when he had to miss Game 5 against the Cleveland Cavaliers because he whacked LeBron James in the groin with his arm.
Then again, Green punching former teammate Jordan Poole in the face during a 2022 preseason practice might have made even more headlines than that.
Green's on-court anger issues are not only concerning for his opponents' well-being, but also are a bad look for both the NBA and the sport of basketball as a whole; which Kerr also noted during yesterday's press conference when he said that Green's chokehold on Gobert, "was a terrible visual for the league, for Draymond and for everybody."
Green clearly needs to get his anger issues under control; if not because of on-court safety, then at least for his Warriors squad, whose loss to the Thunder on Thursday was their fifth straight and made them 6-7 on the season. Golden State could certainly use Green back on the court — that is, aside from when his technical fouls are providing their opponents free free throws.
