Draymond Green has had a contentious relationship with the NBA’s referees for nearly his entire career. He was fined $25,000 by the league for his latest comments regarding the officials.
Draymond Green and most of the NBA’s referees have been at odds for years now, and his most recent comments probably won’t get him many calls going forward. He suggested that the NBA should replace all of the league’s referees as Green believes their relationship with the players has been broken beyond repair.
Green has racked up 58 technical fouls and 6 flagrant fouls during his six-year career, and he feels like he has been personally targeted by the referees because of his controversial reputation
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Here are his comments on the situation as told to Anthony Slater of the Athletic:
"“It’s bad,” Green told Slater. “It’s horrible. It’s really bad. I don’t know why it is. But I think it’s ridiculous. It’s ruining the game. … It should be one of, if not the main priority, to be solved. It definitely should. They can get a new crop (of referees), a whole new crop. Too many personal things going on. Too much me against you. It just don’t work that way.”"
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NBA referees certainly have egos, and they are sort of forced to have that attitude to deal with constant chastising from fans and players alike. NBA players also have egos of their own, and the way the referees call each game can be the difference between a win and a loss in a league where the margins are very small.
The most famous rift between Green and the NBA’s officials led him to be suspended for a potential championship-clinching game in the 2016 Finals, and his suspension totally swung the momentum in the Cavaliers’ favor as they went on to win in seven games.
Draymond set a career-high in technical fouls with 15 in 2016-17, and he’s set to top that total as he’s already picked up a league-leading 11 technicals in the first half of this season.
Technical fouls are largely a judgment call from the refs, and Draymond feels he’s being treated unfairly.
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As an NBA player, you aren’t allowed to criticize the officials in the media, so he knew this fine was coming. However, if it leads to a change in how the game is officiated, it will be $25,000 well-spent.