A recent spate of Twitter drama that has called for the suspension of Anthony Davis struck a chord with Warriors’ forward Draymond Green, who was suspended from Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
Tempers have been flaring on NBA Twitter over a play in Game 5 of the NBA Finals involving Los Angeles’ Anthony Davis and Miami’s Jae Crowder. Davis appeared to intentionally elbow Crowder in the face, which has caused fans to rush onto Twitter to call for the suspension of Davis.
You can watch the play here.
Among those who have added their opinion to the discussion was Warriors’ all-star forward Draymond Green.
Green’s take shows the resentment that he still holds for his controversial suspension from Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s a subtle, but clear jab at NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the association as a whole.
Not called a flagrant foul on the court, the NBA ruled a 2016 Finals altercation between Green and Cleveland’s LeBron James a flagrant foul after the fact, which put Draymond over the limit of flagrant fouls permitted per player in the payoffs.
Why suspend someone and decise the season?... That’s whack https://t.co/fYBll1PqzT
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) October 11, 2020
Green has every right to be upset about his suspension in 2016. With his team up three games to one, his absence in Game 5 catalyzed Cleveland’s historic comeback in which they proceeded to win Games 5, 6, and 7 to earn the title.
In this instance, the NBA’s decision to rule the play a flagrant and suspend Green altered the series and possibly the final outcome, something that Draymond clearly does not wish to see repeated in the NBA in 2020.
While Davis’ actions do appear to be intentional and merit some type of punishment, Draymond is right: No one wants to let the NBA decide a series by removing one of the league’s best players from the equation.
While 2016 surely was upsetting for Draymond, evidently still to this day, he ended up with the last laugh and earned the two subsequent titles in 2017 and 2018. Life could be worse.
For now, let’s take Draymond’s advice and see if the Heat are worthy of another 3-1 Finals comeback, playing against a full-strength Lakers’ squad including Davis.
(And for those who want to rekindle this controversy, here is the play that earned Draymond Green a flagrant foul.)