After initially defending Draymond Green, Steve Kerr agreed with the decision to suspend the star for five games. During the pre-game press conference against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Golden State Warriors coach expressed his disapproval of the number 23’s behavior. Kerr emphasized the need for Green to channel his energy in a more controlled manner and acknowledged that the incident was unfortunate for the NBA as a whole.
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“Draymond went beyond the limits, and there’s no way around that. In my view, he made a mistake, and I’ve talked about it with him. This is not the standard we want to associate with the NBA. So I can say that the five-game suspension are fair”, admitted the coach. Kerr highlighted the importance of finding more appropriate ways for Green to express his intensity, without exceeding established limits.
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The coach spared no criticism of the specific incident, highlighting that the main error was Green’s prolonged action in holding his opponent. Kerr argued that such behaviors harm the league’s image and set a negative example for spectators. He explained: “I have no problem with intense confrontations, such as going after Rudy Gobert if he is going against Klay Thompson. However, Green should have released Gobert, especially after six or seven seconds. This is unfortunate for the spectators and an example terrible for everyone.”
This was the fifth suspension in the defensive specialist’s career, the last being related to an act of physical aggression when he stepped on Domantas Sabonis in Game 2 of the 2023 playoffs. Kerr also recalled the notorious suspension during the 2016 NBA Finals, when Green did not play in Game 5, influencing the Cleveland Cavaliers’ historic comeback to win the title.