From NBA players to consultants, many were shocked and disappointed to learn that Draymond Green received a one-game suspension for stepping on Domantas Sabonis. In its statement, the NBA referred to a ” past unsportsmanlike gestures“, and it was Joe Dumars who went further in the explanations to justify this suspension, which was not automatic.
“Here it is: excessive and exaggerated gestures, harmful conduct and he is a repeat offender”listed the vice-president of the NBA during a telephone interview with ESPN. “That’s what makes the difference in getting a suspension. »
It must be said that Green’s “criminal” record is thick with 162 career technical fouls, 17 expulsions and now four suspensions! “Whatever the situation (note: the Warriors are down 2-0), you have to put it aside and stick to the facts. Recidivism weighs heavily in the balance” recalls Dumars.
ESPN then asks him if such a gesture would also have deserved a suspension if it had not been Green. “It could have been” replies Dumars. “But the gesture itself would always have been considered serious since it tramples the chest of a player. In the end, if you add the fact that he is a repeat offender, that’s how we arrive at a suspension. »
And Green’s behavior with the public did not help matters, especially since Adam Silver was a few meters away. “It’s one more thing he didn’t need to do. It was useless” concludes the former Pistons fullback.
