Draymond Green is undoubtedly one of the most passionate players the NBA has ever seen, but sometimes that passion has led to being ejected from games. In the heat of battle once more, Draymond Green was ejected from his third game of the season after wildly swinging and punching Jusuf Nurkic.
Golden State Warriors were visitors to the Footprint Center, the home court of the Phoenix Suns in a Western Conference showdown. Draymond Green and Jusuf Nurkic were mixing it up down low in a battle for position when Green swiftly swung with his arms wide and socked Nurkic on the side of the head. Nurkic, significantly larger than Green, was crumpled to the floor.
Officials on the floor reviewed the physical exchange, ruling it a flagrant 2 foul and leading to Green’s ejection. While it wasn’t the most direct apology, at least on its surface, Green did offer in a postgame comment that he was trying to sell a foul and didn’t intend to hit Nurkic.
Coach Steve Kerr addressed Green’s ejection, stating that the team always needs him on the floor. Green is an integral part of the Warriors’ offense, especially in his point-forward role and defensive prowess.
Green caught wind of Coach Kerr’s comments and doubled down on his point that if he never meant to hit Nurkic and stated that he isn’t one to apologize for something he intended to do, hence why he apologized to Jusuf Nurkic.
With this event being the third suspension of the year for Green, he has tied his previous ejection count in this early going of the season. Green recently served a suspension for putting Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold. It isn’t known what the NBA will decide for Green after this latest ejection.
We’ve got reactions below from NBA Twitter regarding the Draymond Green and Jusuf Nurkic dustup. We also have the video of the incident courtesy of ESPN.
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Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty
