Steve Kerr admitted that Draymond Green’s recent actions were excessive and deserving of the five-game suspension handed down by the NBA. The Golden State Warriors coach acknowledged that Green went too far when he put Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert in a headlock during a scuffle on the court.
“Draymond was in the wrong,” Kerr stated ahead of the Warriors’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. “He’s aware of that. It was not a good look. The five-game suspension is warranted.”
The NBA cited Green’s history of unsportsmanlike behavior as a factor in determining the length of the suspension.
The incident occurred within the first two minutes of the game on Tuesday when a scuffle erupted between Golden State’s Klay Thompson and Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels. Gobert intervened by grabbing Thompson, prompting Green to rush in and pull Gobert away from behind, putting his arm around Gobert’s neck in what the league deemed “an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner.”
Kerr expressed that while removing Gobert from the situation was acceptable, Green’s prolonged hold on him was unacceptable. “He went too far,” Kerr remarked. “It was a bad look for the league, for Draymond, for everyone involved.”
Acknowledging Green’s passionate style of play, Kerr emphasized the need for him to control his behavior and avoid crossing the line into physical altercations. “Draymond has to find that balance,” Kerr stressed. “We’ll support him in channeling his competitive nature without resorting to acts of violence. That’s a line he cannot cross.”
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