The most recent individual to encounter conflict and controversy with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is Jusuf Nurkic. While playing his inaugural season with the Phoenix Suns, Nurkic fell victim to one of Green’s outbursts: a backhanded slap that resulted in Green’s suspension and subsequent anger management therapy.
Green has since returned and was present during the Warriors’ game against the Suns last Saturday, further intensifying the animosity between the two parties.
During a closely contested game in the third quarter, Nurkic received the ball in the post and successfully backed Green down in the paint. After hitting a turnaround shot over him, Nurkic emphatically slapped the court and made two separate “too small” gestures, clearly directed at Green. However, less than a minute later, Green found himself in a similar situation with Nurkic guarding him, and in retaliation, he slapped the floor after making a basket.
Following the game, both players engaged in a back-and-forth exchange through the media. However, Draymond Green finally had the opportunity to address the situation fully during the latest episode of his podcast, where he dedicated a significant four minutes to discussing the matter.
Green calmly provided a detailed account of the entire incident and offered his response and explanation. Throughout his rant, Green repeatedly referred to Nurkic as “the clown.”
“The little guy, as I mentioned, goes to the media and complains as if I did something to him, completely disregarding his own ‘too small’ celebration. And then he has the audacity to question my character. What a coward. You question someone’s character over a basketball game that you just lost, a game in which you were utterly dominated. The only thing you should be talking about is how you were reprimanded.”
Nurkic is merely the most recent individual to have a dispute with Draymond Green over the course of the vocal 33-year-old’s career. The Warriors and Suns will not face each other again during the regular season, as the game on Saturday marked the fourth and final matchup between the two teams. Phoenix emerged victorious with a 3-1 record in the four encounters.
According to the Source sportslens.com