Call it The Draymond Green Effect. The NBA says its referees will more closely monitor shots to the "groin area" this year.
Green became known as a serial groin attacker in this year's playoffs.
He was suspended for Game 5 of the NBA Finals after receiving a flagrant foul 1 for swiping at LeBron James' groin area while James stepped over him in Game 4. The NBA called it a "retaliatory swipe of his hand to the groin," and Green's flagrant points added up to a suspension.
Green also received attention for targeting groins in the Western Conference Finals, when he kicked at the groin area of Oklahoma City's Steven Adams.
Steven Adams when asked about Draymond Green's groin shots= 😂😂😂 (via The Top Story/YouTube) https://t.co/9Hn2b1pMby
The league says it will be on the lookout for "unnatural acts."
"Now all of a sudden legs are coming out in different directions at weird times, they're coming higher," Joe Borgia, the NBA senior vice president of replay and referee operations, told the AP. "Well, for the protection of the players, we're going to stop it."
The NBA says its refs will also play closer attention to travels on the perimeter.
Rest easy, Steven.
