Draymond Green faced the media after getting ejected for punching Jusuf Nurkic during the Warriors 116-119 loss to the Suns. Green has claimed he didn’t intend to hit Nurkic and accidentally punched him while trying to sell a call.
“He was pulling my hip and I was swinging away to sell the call and made contact with him. I’m not one to apologize for things I meant to do but I will apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him. I sell calls with my arms… I’m not a flopper. I was just selling the call because he was grabbing me and pulling my hip back.”
Draymond Green apologies to Jusuf Nurkic:
"I didn't intend to hit him. I sell calls with my arms… I'm not a flopper." pic.twitter.com/rE0wICjkgF
— Damian (@topchappo) December 13, 2023
Green chose the worst moment to sell a call, as he clocked Nurkic straight in the face. The Bosnian center made his feelings clear after the game, expressing his concern for Green’s mental health before Green clarified why he ended up punching Nurkic.
“What’s going on with him? I don’t know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help. I’m glad he didn’t try to choke me. At the same time, it ain’t nothing to do with basketball.”
Suns' Jusuf Nurkic on Warriors' Draymond Green after ejection: "What's going on with him? I don't know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help. I'm glad he didn't try to choke me. At the same time, it ain't nothing to do with basketball."
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) December 13, 2023
Nurkic’s comments about Green not trying to choke him was a clear reference to Green’s suspension earlier in the season for locking Rudy Gobert in a headlock. The fact that the incident took place about a month ago and Green has already put himself in another situation that may bring a suspension is extremely worrying for the 10-13 Warriors.
The Warriors Can’t Afford To Lose Games For No Reason
The Warriors are digging themselves into a hole this season. They’re 10-13 after the first quarter of the season and currently sit as the 11th seed. They need to be top 10 to make the playoffs and are currently 2.5 games behind the New Orleans Pelicans, who are fresh off a win over the league-leading Timberwolves. The situations both teams find themselves in are extremely different, so the Warriors need to be able to push up the standings.
This isn’t the first time Green has gotten himself ejected over a foul that could lead to a suspension and explained it away by saying he was trying to sell a call. This is the exact situation he found himself in during the 2016 Western Conference Finals when he ended up kicking Steven Adams in the groin. Green explained that foul away by claiming he was trying to sell a call as well, comparing it to a different incident.
“I sold the call.”
Green avoided a suspension for that incident but would miss a pivotal Game 5 in the 2016 NBA Finals after being suspended for one game for pulling the same move on LeBron James. Green’s antics have caused the Warriors a lot of pain over the years, but they were good enough to tolerate that for his All-Defense caliber play anchoring the Warriors’ defense.
He’s no longer playing at that level and the Warriors are suffering as a result. While Jonathan Kuminga is a worthy successor in the making, Golden State may need to start relying on the 21-year-old more often in the short term, especially if Green is suspended once again. For a player who signed a four-year extension this summer, the Warriors will be concerned.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
