Although the indefinite suspension that Draymond Green was given as a result of his violent on-court antics has now ended, there was a time when the Golden State star believed he'd never play in the NBA again — and it was what he would have wanted.
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During a candid conversation on the most recent episode of Green's "The Draymond Green Show," the Warriors' 33-year-old forward said he was ready to retire from the NBA after the suspension was given to him — until he spoke with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who made him change his mind.
“I told him ‘I’m going to retire’”
—@Money23Green opens up about his conversation with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after the Jusuf Nurkić incident pic.twitter.com/kgJrnJzBS7
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) January 8, 2024
On the podcast, Green said, "I told him, 'Adam this is too much for me ... This is too much. It's all becoming too much for me — and I'm going to retire.' And Adam said, 'You're making a very rash decision and I won't let you do that.'"
Green discussed his conversation with the NBA commissioner further. "We had a long, great conversation — very helpful to me," Green said. "Very thankful to play in a league with a commissioner like Adam who's more about helping you than hurting you; helping you than punishing you. He's more about the players."
The suspension given to Green came on Dec. 13, after he struck Suns forward Jusuf Nurkic on the head. That occurred soon after serving a five-game suspension without pay in November for forcibly grabbing Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert around the neck "in an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner."
In addition to talking on the podcast about his potential retirement, Green expressed regret for his actions and noted how his choices have affected his family.
"I was wrong," Green said. "I accept my fault in that, and I apologize. ... It brings pain. I have a wife, I have children, I have parents, I have grandparents, siblings, friends that I embarrassed, and it hurts. My mom experienced death threats. I have two children that are of school age, and they have to go to school."
While the 17-19 Warriors host the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday (a game that will be nationally televised on ABC), the team has stated that it doesn't want to rush Green back into action, so he can return to playing shape. Yet, if the Warriors are to go on a winning streak and make a playoff push, they'll need Green back on the court sooner rather than later.
Whenever he does return, all eyes will be on Green to see whether he can remain on his best behavior.
