NBA proves its vendetta against Warriors’ Draymond Green after dirty Joel Embiid play

Much of the NBA landscape has been centered on Draymond Green in recent days, with the Golden State Warriors forward suspended for one game after stomping on the chest of Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis in Game 2 of their first-round series.

Yet on the same day Green was serving his suspension, the league was marred by more controversial plays in Game 3 between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.

The NBA continues to prove its vendetta against Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green after the lack of punishment on Joel Embiid’s groin kick on Nic Claxton.

After Nic Claxton disrespectfully tried to step over him during the first-half of Thursday’s game, Joel Embiid reacted by kicking up in between Claxton’s legs. The MVP favorite received a flagrant foul penalty one for the incident, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that the NBA will take no further action in regard to a suspension.

In a fiery contest that the 76ers eventually won to take a dominant 3-0 series lead, Claxton found himself ejected in the second-half after a second technical foul. Philadelphia guard James Harden was also ejected for a controversial flagrant foul penalty two call after he hit Royce O’Neale in the groin region. Again, the NBA will not impose a suspension on the former MVP.

During the halftime break, legends Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley both agreed that Embiid’s kick was worse than Green’s stomp that warranted both an ejection and one-game suspension. It’s another indication that the league is showing a clear bias against the former Defensive Player of the Year, a point they blatantly made when stating Green’s prior history helped determine the suspension.

Speaking on the latest episode of his podcast, Green was bemused at the fact a suspension could be given based partly on previous plays, along with his exchange with the hostile opposing crowd immediately after the play.

"“I never knew you could be suspended for a flagrant two that happened seven years ago. I also didn’t know that you could be suspended for interacting with a crowd that’s giving you double birds and yelling your name and chants that you suck.”"

As fate would have it, Green will return for the Warriors in the pivotal Game 4 matchup against the Kings on Sunday, while Embiid will miss at least one game anyway after suffering a knee sprain during the Game 3 win.