It’s the week before Christmas (as of this posting date) and people everywhere are working hard, getting ready for the holidays… no matter how they celebrate them. One man not celebrating is Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. Suspended last week after his latest on-court altercation, Green has started counseling and is expected to remain sidelined for at least the next three weeks.
From the front office of the Commissioner, the NBA handed Green an indefinite suspension after he hit Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face during a game. NBA Executive VP and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars put out a statement saying it was Green’s “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” that led to the indefinite time off.
Green is now undergoing counseling and other work to get back to playing status. Several sources have indicated counseling is part of the process, but they’re not talking specifics, out of respect for privacy.
In a talk with TMZ Sports, our man Shaq gave his thoughts on suspension and getting back to playing the game. O’Neal said: “It’s not my job to say how long Dray should sit out. I don’t think Draymond said, ‘Hey, I’m going to punch this guy just ’cause he’s pulling my jersey.”
Shaq talked about how things can get physical in the heat of the game: “I think he was definitely trying to sell the call and the mistake he made is that he had his arms up. When somebody is close to you and your arms are extended, you definitely are going to make contact. Maybe he thought the guy wasn’t in close proximity.”
Would Shaq have gone for the “indefinite” suspension? Seems the answer is no: “Listen, he’s a fiery player. He’s an honest player and it’s unfortunate this happened. But I’m not going to sit here and say ‘he needs 10, or he needs 15 games’. The NBA will decide what’s going on but I would’ve given him two games. This is just a flop gone wrong.”
To see the video of the TMZ interview, click here.
NBA fans know Green is – for better or for worse – kinda famous for his altercations with various players. Several coke to mind, especially Rudy Gobert. There have been suspensions in the past. Now the question is: Will this latest suspension and counseling help him tone down the sometimes-hot temper, while still letting him play with passion and intensity? This latest suspension could be for up to three weeks. That seems like enough time to get some good work done on Green’s head-space and attitude towards his job as NBA superstar.