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Opposition teammates, NBA legend jump to defend Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green

By Peter O'Keefe

PORTLAND, OREGON - APRIL 09: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors and Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers greet each other before the game at Moda Center on April 09, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - APRIL 09: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors and Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers greet each other before the game at Moda Center on April 09, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
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The NBA dropped a bombshell on Tuesday night, suspending Golden State Warriors’ forward Draymond Green from the critical Game 3 of his team’s first-round series against the Sacramento Kings.

The 33-year-old had already been ejected from the final seven minutes of Game 2 on Monday after his altercation with Kings big man Domantas Sabonis, but that wasn’t enough for the league who cited Green’s previous indiscretions throughout his decorated yet often controversial career.

Draymond Green has found some allies in the aftermath of his suspension from Game 3 of the Golden State Warriors-Sacramento Kings first-round matchup.

The initial ejection garnered a plethora of debate on social media, with thousands staking their claim on what portion of blame to attribute to both players. That only ramped up after the announcement of Green’s suspension.

Portland Trail Blazers’ superstar Damian Lillard had already been critical of Green’s removal from Game 2, then doubled-down by stating “a suspension is crazy” in response to the latest news. His teammate Jusuf Nurkic also chimed in, retweeting Lillard’s comment and adding, “I thought ejected was too much, but suspended ??? not right lol.”

Adding interest to the situation is Green’s impending free agency, with Portland long being seen as a suitable destination should the four-time champion ever leave Golden State. However, it’s not just the Trail Blazers duo who have come to Green’s defense in criticising the decision.

Speaking on TNT’s Inside the NBA shortly after the decision was announced, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal suggested he would have done the same thing had an opposition player grabbed his ankle as Sabonis did Green’s.

"“I thought throwing him out of the game was adequate. By the letter of the law, by the way it looks, it’s a dirty play. I’m not going to sit up here and be a hypocrite, I would have did the same thing. Let’s talk about this for a second – if you don’t grab his leg that play never happens. Just my opinion.”"

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However way you want to spin it, the Warriors are now in a perilous position down 2-0 and without one of their key players for Game 3. This can all be forgotten if Golden State come back to win the series, but Green is now further reliant on his teammates to help make that happen.

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