Draymond Green’s Frustration Boils Over Amidst Technical Foul Controversy
MINNEAPOLIS — In the aftermath of a tough Game 2 loss, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green found himself at the center of controversy once again. This time, it wasn’t just about his performance on the court but also about the narrative surrounding his persona. After receiving his fifth technical foul of the playoffs, Green voiced his frustration over what he perceives as an “agenda” to paint him as an “angry Black man.”
The incident in question occurred during the Warriors’ 99-80 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. With 8:46 remaining in the second quarter, Green was fouled by Minnesota’s Naz Reid while holding the ball. In response, Green flailed his left arm at Reid’s head, causing Reid to fall to the floor. While Reid was called for the personal foul, Green was assessed a dead-ball technical foul after a review. This leaves him just two technicals short of an automatic one-game suspension.
After the game, Green addressed reporters with a brief statement, expressing his belief in an “agenda” against him, though he did not provide further details. “Looked like the angry Black man,” Green remarked in the visitors’ locker room. “I’m not an angry Black man. I am a very successful, educated Black man with a great family, and I am great at basketball and great at what I do. The agenda to try to keep making me look like an angry Black man is crazy. I’m sick of it. It’s ridiculous.”
Adding to the night’s drama was an incident involving a fan who was ejected for directing a racial slur at Green. According to Golden State team security, Green was on a stationary bike in the tunnel near the Warriors’ bench in the fourth quarter when he had a back-and-forth with the fan. Authorities subsequently escorted the fan out of the arena.
Warriors forward Jimmy Butler weighed in on the situation, agreeing that Green’s reputation often leads to calls going against him. However, Butler expressed confidence that Green would avoid a suspension later in the postseason. “No, I think he knows,” Butler said. “We all know. I thought he got fouled and was maybe trying to sell the call. Someone got hit, but it’s crazy. Every time he does something, it’s always a review and always ends up being something of that nature.”
With Stephen Curry sidelined through at least Game 4 due to a strained left hamstring, Butler emphasized the importance of Green’s leadership and composure. “He knows how much we need him now more than ever,” Butler said. “So I don’t think he gets to seven [technical fouls].”
After Green was assessed his latest technical foul, he got up from the bench and yelled at officials. Curry walked to half court to try to calm Green down. Warriors coach Steve Kerr then opted to sub Butler in for Green, and Butler pulled Green away to prevent further confrontation with the referees.
“I could see he had gotten pretty upset,” Kerr said, “and I just didn’t want him to get another technical, so I took him out at that point and I know he’s going to have to be careful now that he’s two techs away. He’s going to have to stay composed. Obviously, we need him, and I’m confident that he will because he knows the circumstances.”
Green’s recent history with technical fouls is not new. In Game 6 of the first round against the Houston Rockets, Green committed a flagrant foul 1 just over three minutes into a 115-107 loss. Green admitted to being “embarrassed” by his lack of composure in that game, acknowledging that he “pouted” and set a poor tone for his team that night at Chase Center.
To regain his focus, Green engaged in heart-to-heart talks with loved ones, including his wife, Hazel Renee; his Michigan State coach, Tom Izzo; and friends like former Spartans teammate Travis Walton. He also meditated and visited the spa, employing methods he learned to calm himself after undergoing therapy, counseling, and check-in calls with NBA executives following his indefinite suspension for an altercation with Rudy Gobert and Jusuf Nurkic a season ago.
In a team meeting organized by Green, Curry, and Butler at the team’s suburban hotel in Houston before Game 7, Green vowed to maintain his composure and lead effectively in the first-round finale. Kerr also had a long talk with Green at the morning shootaround before Game 7.
Green delivered on his promise, setting the tone for the Warriors in their 103-89 win with his defense and all-around play, contributing 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. He also kept his composure when he received a technical foul late in the second quarter after Fred VanVleet fouled him, but Green flailed his arm out at the Houston point guard. Officials gave Green a tech after review, and assistant coaches and teammates calmed him down on the Warriors bench.
The play was reminiscent of the incident with Reid on Thursday night against the Wolves. “It’s just a habit he has when somebody fouls him, and he’s smart,” Kerr said. “So I think it was Reid reached and on the reach, Draymond kind of swiped through and drew the foul. But he does have a habit of sort of flailing his arm to try to make sure the ref sees it, and he made contact, and that’s what led to the tech.”
When Green took to the court at halftime for warmups, he continued to talk to head official Tony Brothers. In the second half, Green was not called for a foul as Minnesota pulled away.
“It’s part of Draymond,” Kerr said. “It’s the same thing that makes him such a competitor and a winner, puts him over the top sometimes, and we know that and it’s our job to try to help him stay poised, stay composed. But the competition is so meaningful to him that occasionally he goes over the line.”
Before Game 2, Green played his best basketball of the season and kept his vow to lead with composure in the previous two Warriors wins, in Game 7 against Houston and Game 1 against Minnesota. But now Green must stay out of trouble with referees for the rest of this series as he gets closer to an automatic one-game suspension if he hits the technical foul or flagrant foul points limit.
“He’s a grown man,” Butler said when asked if he needs to say anything to Green. “He knows how important he is to this squad, how important every game is and how important it is that he needs to be out there. Don’t need to tell him nothing. He is very capable and he is very observant. He knows.”
- Draymond Green’s technical foul count: 5
- Stephen Curry’s injury status: Out through at least Game 4
- Warriors’ recent performance: 103-89 win in Game 7 against Houston
Originally Written by: Ohm Youngmisuk
