MY ACCOUNT
Draymond Green believes his ejection in the Golden State Warriors’ 117-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies was called due to his reputation.
The Warriors bench responded angrily to Green’s ejection after a video review ruled his foul a flagrant-two, for excessive and unnecessary contact with Brandon Clarke, after pulling Clarke’s jersey when he went up to the basket following an offensive rebound.
The former Defensive Player of the Year did not take long to sound off, recording an episode of the Draymond Green Podcast from his hotel room in Memphis after the game.
The 32-year-old said the ejection was borne more of his reputation, but also added his hope for the NBA to rescind the flagrant-two to a flagrant-one, meaning his next flagrant in the playoffs would not result in a suspension.
“We’ve seen questionable calls in the first round… some things that didn’t get reviewed,” he said. “Sometimes I guess it’s just a case-by-case thing, it’s a reputation thing. I think tonight was probably a reputation thing more so than a hard foul.
“My biggest worry moving forward is that gives me two flagrant foul points, and as we know I’ve been ejected for an accumulation of flagrant foul points, so my hope is that the right thing will happen and that it will at least get rescinded to a flagrant one.
“I can’t quite say it was unnecessary… and to say it was excessive would be a bit extreme.”
Green was notoriously suspended for Game 5 in the 2016 Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers for a flagrant-one foul, after he was tangled up with LeBron James.
Green made reference to that in providing context on the Clarke foul, and whether we would be surprised at the ejection.
“You know, one thing about the foul is, I actually tried to hold him [Clarke] up,” he said.
“I wasn’t told anything because I left the court, but guys were told I was ejected for throwing him down, which is very interesting because even when he hit the ground, I still was holding his jersey up.
“But at this point, I kind of expect things like that, like I’ve been suspended from Game 5 of the NBA Finals. You think for one second I don’t believe I would get kicked out of Game 1 of the second round? Not surprising to me at all. Not one bit.”
