Rudy Gobert has extended an olive branch to Draymond Green after the Warriors veteran was indefinitely suspended by the NBA. "I have empathy for him. You see somebody that's not well inside and suffering. You take away the game and all that, and you want somebody to be well and be able to do what we do every night and compete and be happy," Gobert told ESPN Thursday night.
However, Gobert, who was placed in a chokehold by Green during an altercation last month, believed the indefinite suspension was necessary. "I'm not sure what that really means, so it's hard to tell. I mean, you don't want someone to get badly hurt. You've got to fix that. That's it," Gobert said. Furthermore, the Warriors lost their first game of Green's latest suspension, falling 121-113 to the Clippers.
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Why Was Draymond Green Suspended?
Draymond Green was "suspended indefinitely" by the NBA after being ejected against the Suns earlier this week. Per the NBA's statement on the decision, the suspension "takes into account Green's repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts." Furthermore, "He will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play," the league added. Green received his 18th career ejection, and third of the season, for striking the Suns' Jusuf Nurkić in the face with a spinning backhand early in the third quarter of Tuesday's game.
While Green did apologize for the incident, the NBA has chosen to come down hard on the veteran. The Warriors will meet with Green and his agent, Rich Paul, to devise a rehabilitative program to help Green return to the court. Furthermore, a source told ESPN that the Warriors had "lost their leverage for disciplining" Green after not adequately punishing him after he punched Jordan Poole last season. However, sources also told the outlet that Green is open to getting "whatever help he needs" to "overcome the challenges he is facing."
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