Draymond Green Suspended Indefinitely by NBA, Citing 'Repeated History'

On Wednesday, the NBA officially announced the indefinite suspension of Draymond Green, the forward for the Golden State Warriors. This decision was made in response to Green striking Jusuf Nurkić, the center for the Phoenix Suns, in the face during their game on Tuesday night.

Green's actions resulted in a flagrant foul 2 and his subsequent ejection from the game, marking the third time he has been ejected this season. The NBA's release stated that the indefinite suspension was primarily influenced by Green's history of unsportsmanlike conduct.

The penalty, implemented by operations chief Joe Dumars, will take immediate effect. Notably, this is already Green's second suspension in the current season. The NBA also mentioned that Green will need to fulfill specific conditions set by the league and his team before he is eligible to return to play.

According to sources, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Draymond Green's agent, Rich Paul, are scheduled to meet on Thursday to initiate discussions regarding counseling and assistance for Green to navigate his current challenges, as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The NBA intends to provide Green with the necessary time and support to address these issues, without specifying a specific length for the suspension.

If Green's suspension lasts fewer than 20 games, he will be docked $153,941 per game, while the penalty increases to $202,922 per game for suspensions exceeding 20 games.

This season, Green's three ejections equate to his highest total in a single season. The first ejection occurred on November 11th against the Cleveland Cavaliers when he received two technical fouls. The second ejection took place on November 14th against the Minnesota Timberwolves, during which Green put Rudy Gobert in a headlock. Following this incident, the NBA suspended Green for five games, citing his history as a repeat offender as the basis for the duration of the suspension.

During Tuesday's game, with 8:23 remaining in the third quarter, Draymond Green was ejected after striking Jusuf Nurkić in the head while defending him. Initially, Green had his back turned to Nurkić and attempted to keep him away by holding him off. However, Green eventually turned and unintentionally hit Nurkić in the head with his hand. Following a video review, officials ruled the foul as a flagrant 2.

After the game, Green expressed remorse for the incident, stating, "I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn't intend to hit him. I sell calls with my arms ... so I was selling the call ... and I swung, and unfortunately, I hit him."

The Golden State Warriors have emphasized to Green the importance of his presence on the court. This need has become even more significant as the team currently holds a 10-13 record, with key players like Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins facing their own struggles.

"We need him. We need Draymond. He knows that," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday. "We've talked to him. He's got to find a way to keep his poise and be out there for his teammates."

Green acknowledged Kerr's message.

"Like I said, if I intended to do that, then I would feel awful about not being there," Green said. "But my intentions were just to sell the foul."

The Golden State Warriors did not provide a statement on Wednesday regarding Draymond Green's suspension but indicated that it would be addressed during the team's shootaround on Thursday in Los Angeles, ahead of their game against the Clippers.

Last month, a source revealed to ESPN that the Warriors' ability to discipline Green had been compromised due to their failure to hold him accountable for punching former teammate Jordan Poole during last year's training camp.

Despite Green's actions, such as stomping on Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis during last season's playoffs, the Warriors have consistently defended and supported him. However, Warriors coach Steve Kerr did acknowledge that Green's behavior was "inexcusable" after the incident involving Rudy Gobert in November.

With 18 ejections throughout his career, Green holds the record for the most ejections among active NBA players.