“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us.”
Draymond Green has crossed the line… again. Another playoff run for the Golden State Warriors, another year of Draymond receiving a suspension for unnecessary antics on the floor. Whether you think his act of stomping on Domantas on Sabonis was justified or not, is not the discussion. Draymond Green has a long history of wild actions and moments that have built this reputation for him. His fiery passion for the game and high-competitive spirit can be a blessing but also can be a curse as we’ve seen repeatedly seen in his career. The NBA admitted his past factored into the decision-making of his one-game suspension for Game 3 of the first round against the Kings.
NBA Executive VP Joe Dumars tells ESPN on Draymond Green punishment: “Here’s what it came down to: Excessive and over-the-top actions, conduct detrimental and a repeat offender. That’s what separates this where you end up with a suspension.” Story soon on ESPN.
While people debate if Domantas Sabonis was equally at fault for Draymond’s actions for grabbing his leg, there’s a larger conversation that needs to be had concerning Draymond’s history. At this point, Draymond should know better. From the nutcrackers he sent to Steven Adams in the 2016 playoffs to the Jordan Poole haymaker earlier this season, there’s a resume of moments that led up to Draymond’s suspension this week. We compiled a timeline of Draymond doing wild sh*t, which includes his verbal spats as well.
May 22, 2016: Draymond kicks Steven Adams in the groin, AGAIN
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This is the first instance of Draymond Green being a repeat offender of a dirty player. This is what ultimately led to his suspension in the NBA Finals as there was a precedent set that he was crossing the line. Now the first play that raised issues was a bit more debatable. Draymond was driving to the rim and he slightly kicked out his leg to create space. While NBA fans still debated that it was a dirty play, it didn’t create the same storm that second kick did later that series.
Draymond blatantly swung his leg after an unsuccessful drive against Adams. I mean, just look at this gif
Draymond Green will not be suspended for kicking Steven Adams in the groin :
Steven Adams had no doubts that Draymond purposefully kicked him in the groin.
Steven Adams on Draymond Green kick: "It happened before, mate. He's pretty accurate."
June 10, 2016: The infamous NBA Finals swipe at LeBron's groin
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This goes back to the opening quote of this piece. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us.” The NBA takes some blame because they didn’t set the standard early as they let Draymond get away with a blatant kick to Steven Adam’s groin (for the second time) during the Western Conference Finals. Since there was no significant discipline, the NBA had no choice when Draymond did it again in the NBA Finals and to add insult to injury, he attempted it on the most powerful athlete in the game of basketball. It ultimately cost the Warriors a championship and now the 2016 Cavs title is seen as the greatest championship of our generation.
Nov. 13, 2018: Beef with KD
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This was the most iconic nights on NBA Twitter. It started off with a questionable decision by Draymond to ignore Kevin Durant demanding the rock and dribble the ball up the floor with a chance to win the game as the clock expires. As Draymond stumbled and fumbled the victory away, it sparked one of the most important moments of the Warriors championship run with KD on the roster.
As KD, Draymond, and the rest of the Warriors returned to the bench, tempers flared. Instead of game planning for overtime, KD and Draymond spent the whole timeout yelling at each other. Durant and Green would reveal what was really said in the argument years later but even at the time, it seemed like this was the boiling point of the imminent of KD and the Warriors.
Feb. 24, 2017: Draymond COOKS Paul Pierce
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“You can’t get no farewell tour. They don’t love you like that… You thought you was Kobe.”
This is by far greatest quote of Draymond Green’s Hall of Fame career and he’s had some memorable ones. We may not love him like Kobe but Paul Pierce is without a doubt one of the best play to ever the game of basketball, proven by his selection on the the NBA75 Anniversary team. He’s also someone who’s difficult to silence but the fact he couldn’t say a thing after Draymond’s clapback is an accomplishment in itself, considering Pierce having the much better basketball resume than the person talking smack.
While Draymond’s clapback is a comedic moment, it’s still wild to say that to a first-ballot Hall of Famer hence why it was included on this timeline.
Oct. 6, 2021: Draymond knees Austin Rivers in the chest
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This was a preseason basketball game. Not the NBA Finals. Not the Western Conference Finals. Not even a high-stakes regular season. Draymond did this in a preseason game. Again, if this is someone else, maybe it’s brushed under the rug but Draymond has a history of swinging knees and it could just be instinctual at this point for him. Maybe he just a has lack of body control but that sounds like an awful excuse for a player who’s a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Oct. 5, 2022: Punching Poole
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As we saw with the KD situation, Draymond has no fear of getting into it with a teammate. This time, he took it to another level when he punched Jordan Poole in his jaw. This moment broke NBA Twitter and the internet in general especially when TMZ dropped the footage but that was the first reaction. When it was initially reported by Shams Charania and Chris Haynes, it seemed like a concerning matter given disciplinary action was pending but teammates get into all the time and as Haynes reported, this was built-up frustration between the two.
Sources: There was a physical altercation at Warriors’ practice today that has the team considering disciplinary action toward Draymond Green. Story at @TheAthletic with @anthonyVslater, @ThompsonScribe:
But when the footage surfaced, the internet was set ablaze.
@ComplexSports
April 19, 2023: Stomping on Sabonis
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As mentioned earlier, this was the culmination of all Draymond Green’s actions on the court in his career. The NBA factored his history in the decision to suspend him but even with that being said, there’s not much you argue to debate a player stomping on someone’s chest. Was Sabonis guilty? Sure, I don’t think he’s innocent in this case but at the same time, Draymond can’t forcefully use someone as a stepping stool. Draymond’s suspension could cost the Warriors as they’re already down 2-0 in the series and it could be another case where it costs them a championship entirely. The Western Conference seems up for grabs and the Warriors have as good of a chance than any team to run the table and repeat as champions. With Draymond now out, those chances have decreased.
