December 14, (THEWILL) – The National Basketball Association (NBA) has suspended Draymond Green, forward for the Golden State Warriors, indefinitely after an on-court altercation during Tuesday night’s match. The incident occurred when Green forcefully struck Jusuf Nurkic, centre for the Phoenix Suns, in the face after feeling contact on his hip while being defended.
Referees performed a video review following Green’s open-handed hit to Nurkic’s face, determining it as “unnecessary and excessive contact”. Green received a Flagrant Foul 2 violation, resulting in his ejection from the match, which the Warriors lost 116-119.
The NBA cited Green’s history of unsportsmanlike behaviour as a rationale for handing down an open-ended suspension without a set return date. The 32-year-old will be required to satisfy specific league and team mandates before being cleared to resume play.
Green recently served a five-game suspension in November 2023 for an on-court scuffle with Minnesota Timberwolves centre Rudy Gobert. Additionally, Green was forced to sit out Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals after a flagrant foul against then-Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James in the prior match.
When active, the four-time NBA champion and All-Star plays an integral role for the Warriors as an emotional leader and floor general. His tempo and court vision help create scoring opportunities for sharpshooting guards Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The 10-13 Warriors currently rank 11th in the Western Conference and face the Los Angeles Clippers on December 14.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
