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NBA suspends Draymond Green for striking player on court

The NBA said Green, a forward, would be suspended indefinitely after striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.
Posted at 8:55 PM, Dec 13, 2023

The NBA has confirmed that Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was suspended indefinitely after striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

During Tuesday night's game, Green and Nurkic got tangled up as they were battling for position in the third quarter. Green appeared to lose his balance as he was calling for the ball and hit Nurkic in the face as he spun around and hit the floor. 

Green was given a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game. 

The NBA later said its decision to suspend Green indefinitely was based on the power forward's history of violent and "unsportsmanlike acts" on the court.

Green is required to "meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play," the NBA said. 

NBA suspends Draymond Green for five games after Gobert chokehold
Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

NBA suspends Draymond Green for five games after Gobert chokehold

The NBA said Wednesday it decided on the punishment after Green's "unsportsmanlike acts," based on his history of bad behavior in the sport.

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In November, the NBA suspended Green for five games after "forcibly grabbing" Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert around the neck on-court during a televised game.

The association called the chokehold "dangerous." That punishment was decided, in part, based on Green's "history of unsportsmanlike acts," the NBA said.

Gobert later spoke spoke about the choking incident, saying, "If he knew how to choke, it could have been way worse. His intention was to take me out."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Green was not on defense when the incident between him and Nurkic occurred.