Most watched Sport videos
Draymond Green was given a heartfelt reply by his Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson when he asked the guard for his ‘brutally honest’ take on his frequent ejections this season, as the latter told the former: ‘we just need you.’
Appearing on ‘The Draymond Green Show’ just a day after he scored 32 points in the Warriors’ home win against the Utah Jazz, Thompson reminded Green of his and the team’s success when he’s on the court and playing, compared to when he’s thrown out and unhappy, which can rub off on his peer and disrupt chemistry all around.
‘When you’re not out there, it’s like a piece of us is gone. We can never be ourselves and have the freedom we do on the court without you. So, I know the other team is very happy you’re not out there. They can… they relax a little bit,’ Thompson said, at first.
‘They let their hair down because our muscle’s gone, our enforcer, they guy — the heartbeat of our team is not out there. We’ve been through so many battles, reached the mountaintop, been down the mountain, had to climb back up, and now we have another real sH๏τ at this. So, at the end of the day, we just need you.
‘And that, like, disappointment and feeling of shaking your head, it just comes from like, ”dang, man, we can’t do this without you.” And we’re not the Warriors without Money Green. That’s just a fact.’
Klay Thompson brutally told Draymond Green to stop with the ejections ahead of the playoffs
Klay’s answer after Draymond wanted ‘brutally honest’ take on his ejections 🙏 @TheVolumeSports pic.twitter.com/FZzy6XedWg
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 8, 2024
Green has been ejected four times in total this season, with his latest ouster coming less than four minutes into the Warriors’ 101-93 win against the Orlando Magic last month (March 27).
It was the power forward’s first ejection since his 16-game suspension by the NBA for his history of misconduct and after he struck Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in the face during a Dec. 12 game.
The 33-year-old Green, part of four Warriors championships, was ejected for the 18th time in his career – most among active NBA players – at the time. He was also tossed for head locking Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert in November before being later handed a five-game ban for his actions.
Last season during training camp, Green took a leave of absence from the 2022 NBA champs in what coach Steve Kerr called a ‘mutual decision’ after the player violently punched then-teammate Jordan Poole in the face. Neither player was injured.
New Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said when he got the job after last season ended that he was committed to keeping Green, who then shortly after received a new $100million, four-year contract in late June. Kerr has always said he loves Green’s fiery, push-the-limits style of play — but it will be interesting to see how both sides come through this latest discipline.
Last spring, Green was suspended for a Game 3 playoff win against the Sacramento Kings after stepping on the chest of Domantas Sabonis during a Game 2 defeat. The Warriors became the first defending champion to rally from an 0-2 deficit to win a playoff series.
Most ejections in NBA history29: Rasheed Wallace21: Draymond Green17: Dwight Howard16: Charles Barkley & Anthony Mason14: Shaq & Boogie Cousinspic.twitter.com/hY254cai02
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 27, 2024
Golden State suspended Green for one game in November 2018 for conduct detrimental to the team. In the closing seconds of regulation during a 121-116 overtime loss on the road to the Clippers, Green secured a rebound and with Kevin Durant calling for the ball instead dribbled the length of the court into traffic and lost control as the Warriors failed to get a sH๏τ off. Durant was shown on camera visibly upset and the two got into it afterward.
In 2016, Green was suspended for a crucial Game 5 loss to LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals after accumulating too many flagrant fouls in the playoffs that season. The Warriors wound up losing in seven games. Then-GM Bob Myers sat with Green next door to Oracle Arena at the Oakland Coliseum for that game Green missed.
A second-round draft pick in 2012 out of Michigan State, Green is averaging 9.7 points, 5.8 ᴀssists and 5.5 rebounds in 15 games this season. He has repeatedly said recently how chemistry is much-improved this season. Poole was traded to Washington on draft day for Chris Paul.
Green said ‘it was hard to come to work’ and ‘not fun.’
‘Last year we had an awful team as far as chemistry goes — pathetic,’ he said. ‘ You look at last year and say, ‘Ah man, this team hasn’t lost a Western Conference series under Steve Kerr.’ And then it happens. The big reason why is our chemistry sucked.’
