Kendra Andrews, ESPND13. December 2023, 8:13 p.m. ET
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely by the NBA for punching Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face during Tuesday night's game, the league announced Wednesday.
Green received a flagrant 2 foul for hitting Nurkić and was subsequently sent off for the third time this season. According to the NBA's press release, the indefinite suspension takes into account “Green's repeated history of unsportsmanlike conduct.”
The NBA said he must meet “certain league and team conditions” before he can play again.
Green, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Green's agent Rich Paul are expected to meet Thursday to discuss a path of advice and assistance for Green moving forward, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The league did not want to specifically quantify the suspension but wanted to give Green the time he may need to address the challenges he faces.
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Green will be fined $153,941 per game if his suspension is less than 20 games and $202,922 per game if he is suspended for more than 20 games.
Green's three ejections are the most in a season. His first came after he picked up two technical fouls against the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 11th. His second came on November 14 against the Minnesota Timberwolves when he put Rudy Gobert in a headlock. The NBA suspended Green for five games following the latter incident, with the league citing Green's past as a repeat offender for the duration of the suspension.
Green was ejected with 8:23 left in the third quarter on Tuesday after he knocked out Nurkić and hit him in the head while defending him. While Green initially turned his back on Nurkić, he repeatedly kept Nurkić away from him. Finally, Green turned around and hit Nurkić in the head with his hand. After a video review, the officials classified the foul as a flagrant penalty.
“I'm not the type of person to apologize for things I plan to do, but I apologize to Yusuf because I didn't mean to hit him,” Green said after the game. “I sell calls with my arms…so I sold the call…and I swung and unfortunately I hit it.”
The Warriors have made it clear to Green that they need him on the field. That need is greater now than ever as Golden State sits at 10-13 and two of their key players, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, continue to struggle.
Draymond career bans
| Date | games | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 2023 | ?? | Nurkian conflict |
| Nov 2023 | 5 | Gobert dispute |
| April 2023 | 1 | Sabonis dispute |
| March 2023 | 1 | Recorded as 16th technician |
| November 2018 | 1 | Team-damaging behavior* |
| June 2016 | 1 | LeBron altercation |
| *Suspension imposed by Warriors for KD confrontation | ||
| – ESPN stats and information | ||
“We need him. We need Draymond. He knows that,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday. “We spoke with him. He has to find a way to keep his poise and be there for his teammates.”
Green acknowledged Kerr's message.
“Like I said, if I was going to do this, I would feel terrible if I wasn’t there,” Green said. “But my intention was just to sell the foul.”
A source told ESPN last month that the Warriors lost their influence in disciplining Green after failing to hold him accountable for hitting former teammate Jordan Poole during training camp last year.
When Green trampled on Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis in the first round of last season's playoffs, the Warriors defended him and stood by him. They did the same after the incident with Gobert in November, although Kerr said his actions were “inexcusable.”
Information from ESPN's Bobby Marks was included in this report.