The NBA has announced an indefinite suspension for Draymond Green, the forward for the Golden State Warriors, following his actions of striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face during Tuesday night’s game.
Green received a flagrant two-foul for his actions against Nurkić and was subsequently ejected. The ejection marked his third one of the season. The NBA’s announcement of the indefinite suspension noted that it considers Green’s pattern of unsportsmanlike conduct when making this decision.
According to sources, Warriors’ General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Green’s agent, Rich Paul, are set to meet on Thursday to discuss a plan for counseling and support to assist Green in his journey forward. The NBA has refrained from specifying a particular duration for the suspension, opting instead to afford Green the flexibility to take the necessary time to address the challenges he is currently confronting.
With 8:23 remaining in the third quarter on Tuesday, Green was ejected from the game. This decision came after he swung and made contact with Nurkić’s head while defending him. Initially, Green turned his back to Nurkić and attempted to keep Nurkić away by holding him off. However, Green eventually turned around and struck Nurkić in the head with his hand. Following a video review, game officials categorized the foul as a flagrant 2.
“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Green said after the game. “I sell calls with my arms … so I was selling the call … and I swung and unfortunately I hit him.”
