3:20 p.m. ET
Kendra Andrews ESPN
SAN FRANCISCO — After Draymond Green was fined $25,000 earlier this week for swearing at a fan, the fan defended Green and even vowed to double the fine to charity.
Green was fined by the NBA on Thursday for “directing obscene language at a fan” during the Warriors’ 116-113 loss to the Dallas Mavericks the night before.
Shortly after the fine was announced, Dallas resident Alykhan Rehmatullah took to Twitter to describe himself as the fan who had the exchange with Green and even defended the Warriors star, writing in his tweet: ” Shouldn’t be, we were just having fun. I’ll match the $25,000 to your favorite charity or NBA Cares. Your call.”
Rehmatullah told ESPN Friday night that he disagreed with the fine because he “did not insult” Green’s language.
“That’s why we can alleviate the situation, do something good, donate,” said Rehmatullah. “Make it charitable… [fan decorum] It’s a hot topic, but it’s not always as controversial as it’s made out to be.”
When Green opened up about Rehmatullah’s promise, he told ESPN he thought it was “a cool gesture,” adding, “You don’t see that.”
The incident happened at 11:20 in the Warriors’ game against the Mavericks. Rehmatullah said the teams would line up for a free throw attempt and he said he started making fun of Green’s shoes.
According to Green, there was “a lot of verbal abuse.” Finally, Green turned around and told the fan to “sit down, shut up and watch the damn game.”
Green did not contact Rehmatullah on Friday but said he plans to.
“The money should go somewhere,” he said of Rehmatullah’s suggestion that his fine be settled. “It should help someone’s child.”
Green also addressed the issue of fan decorum, which has been a big topic in the league for the past several seasons. Arenas across the league have banned certain fans who behave inappropriately, but incidents have persisted.
“I’ve been at this way too long,” Green said. “I don’t have a lot of faith in something that will last [fans] accountable and changing fandom.”