Draymond Green broke his silence on his latest suspension on Sunday, speaking to local reporters for more than 20 minutes after the Warriors practiced at Chase Center.
While images of Green choking Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert on Nov. 14 shocked the NBA world, the Warriors forward made it clear he wouldn’t change how the situation unfolded.
“I don’t live my life with regrets,” Green said. “Like I said, I’ll stand by a teammate any time I’m in a position to defend them. That’s what makes a team. “We stick together for better or for worse, and I take that to heart.” . I’m proud to be a good teammate. That’s where I intervene every day. That’s number one on my list: being a good teammate.”
The incident, which occurred less than two minutes into the Warriors-Timberwolves game 12 days ago at Chase Center, began when Warriors guard Klay Thompson and Timberwolves Jaden McDaniels argued, resulting in all players on the got into a scuffle on the pitch.
As Gobert began attacking Thompson, Green rushed over and put Minnesota’s big man in a headlock, which he held for several seconds before being ripped free by Gobert.
Green, Thompson and McDaniels were all ejected from the game.
A day later, the NBA handed down a five-game suspension, again noting that Green’s previous violations had played a role in the lengthy discipline. Thompson, McDaniels and Gobert were each fined $25,000 for their involvement in the altercation.
“They have made it clear that they will hold me accountable for everything I have done before,” Green said. “They made that clear and that’s fine. “I have to address where I think it’s right and where my teammates think it’s right, where my coaches think it’s right, where our front office thinks it’s right, the people I care about, I trust that.” When I hear her say something, it means something to me, and that goes for all the people who are in this grind every day.
“I think the consensus among all of us is that I will definitely be myself no matter what and that won’t change. But by saying that there is always a better way to do something, and therefore find a better way, I think is the consensus among all of us. But I can’t play basketball: ‘Oh man, I can’t do that because they’re probably watching it.’ They’re still going to do what they’re going to do. And I’m not going to worry about what they’re going to do when I’m playing basketball.
“I want to play basketball the way I play basketball. The way I play basketball got me here. The way I play basketball has brought me tremendous success, both individually and from a team perspective. So that’s what I’ll always do. Be myself and don’t change that. But like I said, I understand and know that there is room for growth, that there are different ways to deal with things and that I have to be better in those moments and in different situations.”
Green knows he will be judged by the NBA’s unofficial “Draymond Rules,” whether fairly or not. His past will always play a role in any future punishment.
But Green also won’t waste time worrying about how the NBA will issue suspensions or fines to other players involved in other incidents.
“I’m not the type to compare myself to other players because they’re not me and I’m not them,” Green said. “So I’m not the type of guy to say, ‘Oh man, you didn’t do that to that guy.’ That’s hate too, and where I grew up you don’t sit there and talk about what another man got or what he didn’t get or what he didn’t get. Why didn’t I get this? I don’t compare myself to other people or myself. That’s why I never look at it in that light.
Although Green understands and accepts that the NBA will use his past against him, he also made it clear on Sunday that he has already paid the price for those previous disputes.
“To continue to say, ‘Well, what he’s done in the past…’ I paid for it like I got suspended in Game 5 of the Finals,” Green said, referring to his 216 NBA suspension. Finals because he hit then-Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James below the belt. “So you cannot continue to suspend me for these actions. But I also say that I’m not the type to admit my guilt. My teammate needs you to defend him. I will defend him, and that’s exactly what it is, especially with someone I’ve played with for 12 years. This is more than a teammate. This is a brother.”
While Green was there for Thompson in a difficult moment, his actions meant he wasn’t there for the Warriors in their final five games, in which they lost 3-2.
With the Warriors heading into the Group C final of the NBA In-Season Tournament West on Tuesday with an 8-9 record, the most important thing for Green and the team is his availability.
After starting the season 6-2, the Warriors struggled badly over the last nine games, with Green missing six of them, either because of a suspension or for unspecified personal reasons.
“Personally, I think I need to be on the court for my teammates,” Green said. “Our chances of winning go down dramatically if I’m not out there, so I have to be better at being there and as one of the leaders of this group you just have to find other ways. I think that’s the biggest lesson for me. “It’s all like, you have to be there for your teammate, but you have to do it differently, like you did it when you were 26, at 33 I can’t do that anymore make.”
The good news for the Warriors is that they will get Green back on Tuesday in Sacramento. He was able to compete with the team and play 3 on 3 during training, so he will not have any physical limitations as if he was coming back from an injury and not in playing shape.
The Warriors and Dub Nation have learned to embrace Green’s downsides because they know how much good he can bring.
But now he understands that he must control his emotions for the good of the Warriors.
“That’s kind of what it comes down to,” Green said. “And so I can get better there and continue to grow through the different things that you go through in life and that’s how I try to deal with those situations.”
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