Earlier this week, Golden State’s Draymond Green was ejected and then a day later suspended for stomping on Kings forward Domantas Sabonis and he has addressed what went down.
“I never knew you could be suspended for a flagrant two that happened seven years ago,” Green said, referring to Game 3 v OKC, when he kicked Steven Adams in the groin and was ejected.
The NBA’s reason for suspending him this week was chalked up to his “history of unsportsmanlike acts”.
“And I also didn’t know you could get suspended for interacting with a crowd that’s flipping you double birds and yelling your name in chants that ‘You suck’ and like you interact with them, I didn’t know that either,” Green continued.
The four-time NBA champion also went to on to say how difficult it was to not take the court in a crucial Game 3 against Sacramento.
“My fellas was in a dogfight and just not being able to participate in that dogfight, that’s crushing,” Green explained. “Because you just feel like you’re leaving them out there by themselves leaving them astray to just figure it out. So just to not participate in that dogfight, that’s what bothers me the most.”
In Friday’s 76ers v Nets game, a similar incident occurred.
MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid blatantly kicked Nic Claxton’s groin area from the ground but was only given a flagrant two.
James Harden was also fouled later in the game and was sensationally ejected for a much milder incident compared to Embiid’s.
Green gave his opinion about the wild refereeing: “I’m never in favor of seeing a player get kicked out of a game… That’s not playoffs. That’s not what we’re paying to see.”
The referees did assess the play on Embiid but allowed him to stay in the game.
With a wry smile after the game, Embiid told reporters: “I honestly didn’t remember the play.”
Sixers coach Doc Rivers believes the NBA is now setting a dangerous precedent as players continue to target NBA stars on purpose.
“Didn’t think Draymond should have gotten suspended and I think the league is setting up a very dangerous precedent right now,” Rivers said “… If we’re gonna start punishing the retaliators and not the instigators, then we got a problem.”
