Draymond Green will receive a five-game suspension for choking Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert on Tuesday night.
The ugly altercation occurred during the opening minutes of Golden State’s loss during the NBA’s In-Season Tournament against the Timberwolves. The game was still scoreless at the time of the dangerous act from the four-time NBA champion.
Gobert called the incident “clown behavior” and said he predicted Green would try to get ejected when he learned Stephen Curry would miss the game due to injury. (Stats say he is right.)
The NBA is suspending Golden State’s Draymond Green for five games, source tells ESPN. Significant hit for the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/QlexGdXNUd
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 16, 2023
The length of the suspension is much higher than we have typically seen issued for an on-court incident since NBA commissioner Adam Silver took over for the late David Stern.
The league issued a statement indicating that the length of the suspension is “based in part on Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts” previously during his career.
Not only was this the longest suspension of his career but it also comes with a large fiscal consequence.
Green will also face the biggest financial forfeit of his career as well, losing $769,970 as part of the discipline. His previous high was $177,976 for unsportsmanlike conduct against Domantas Sabonis during the 2023 NBA playoffs.