Draymond Green And Jusuf Nurkic Exchange Words During First Meeting Since The Infamous Punch

There was some tension in the air as Draymond Green and Jusuf Nurkic faced off for the first time since the punching incident.

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Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Draymond Green and Jusuf Nurkic had some words for each other during the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. After Green was called for a foul on Nurkic in the first quarter, the two men exchanged words.

Not long after, Green drew an offensive foul on Nurkic and celebrated by running the length of the court. There is a little bit of tension in the air, as this is the first meeting between these two on the court since Green struck Nurkic in the face during a Warriors-Suns game on December 12.

Draymond was suspended indefinitely after the incident, and it ended up lasting 12 games. The 33-year-old would miss 16 games in total, and the Warriors struggled in his absence.

Fortunately, things did not escalate after this exchange between Nurkic and Green here. Had we seen similar scenes to that infamous night, Draymond might not have been back on the court for quite some time.


NBA Fans Reacted To Green And Nurkic Exchanging Words

The video of this exchange quickly went viral. NBA fans hilariously reacted to the incident, as they had plenty of jokes to make.

One wildly stated it is not time for Monday Night Raw just yet, “It ain’t Monday Night Raw yet.”

A fan said Nurkic did not learn his lesson, “Nurkic didn’t learn his lesson last time apparently.”

One said Green hasn’t learned from his past incidents, “Bro ain’t learned a thing.”

A fan thinks it’s killing Green to not be able to go at Nurkic, “I know it’s killing bro to stay calm. Back in the day, Dray would’ve super flexed bro for talking to him like that.”

One joked that Green will retire to become a WWE star, “Draymond is gonna retire and be a WWE superstar.”

Well, Green did claim he considered retiring from the NBA during his suspension, but Commissioner Adam Silver dissuaded him from walking away. Should Green find himself in serious trouble again, though, Silver might not ask him to stick around.


Draymond Green Had Apologized For Striking Jusuf Nurkic

Just a month before he struck Nurkic, Green had put Rudy Gobert in a chokehold. He was unapologetic about that, but it appeared he really regretted what he had done to the Suns’ big man. Green apologized for punching Nurkic and stated he was 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.”

Whether he meant it or not, Green had lost the benefit of the doubt by that point considering his history. Nurkic felt Draymond needed help, and he did enter counseling during his suspension. He has managed to stay out of trouble with the NBA since his return, and the Warriors would be hoping he continues to do so.

They have had a mini resurgence recently, winning five of their last six games to improve to 24-25 coming into this clash against the Suns. Green, who is averaging 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game this season, has played a big part in it as well.

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Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
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