Just one month into the 2023-24 NBA season, Warriors forward Draymond Green is at the center of another on-court controversy.
Less than two minutes into an In-Season Tournament game between Green’s Warriors and the Timberwolves, chaos ensued after Klay Thompson became tangled up with Jaden McDaniels. As Rudy Gobert attempted to pull Thompson away, Green placed the French center in a headlock, further escalating the altercation.
After a review of the situation, Green was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and automatically ejected from the game. One day later, the NBA issued a suspension for his actions.
MORE: Draymond Green, Klay Thompson ejected after Wolves-Warriors fight
Draymond Green suspended for putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold
Comments from officiating Crew Chief Tyler Ford following the game gave us an idea of the league’s approach to suspending Green.
When asked why Green was assessed a Flagrant 2, Ford shared that “he aggressively put Gobert in a headlock and refuses to let go.” Ford added, “This is unnecessary and excessive conduct which meets the standard for a flagrant foul penalty 2.”
Here is a look at the altercation in its totality, as spliced together by the website of the NBA’s officials:
Green last served a suspension during the 2023 NBA Playoffs, when he was barred for one game after stomping on the chest of Domantas Sabonis. When determining punishment, NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars told ESPN that Green’s standing as a “repeat offender” had a hand in his ending up with a suspension.
Tuesday’s incident marked Green’s second ejection in a four-day span. On Saturday, Nov. 11, Green was ejected for picking up two technical fouls in a loss to the Cavaliers.
Green took to Instagram a day later to respond to his ejection, saying: “I’m in year 12 and (y’all) still telling me to stop being Draymond. Don’t get a tech… blah blah blah. 12 years later and (y’all) still trying to coach me on how to be ME?”
Since posting that message, he was engaged in a back-and-forth with Anthony Edwards on Sunday and ejected for his role in escalating the altercation in Tuesday’s rematch between Golden State and Minnesota.
How long is Draymond Green’s suspension?
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that Green will be suspended for five games for his actions in Tuesday’s altercation with Gobert.
In the NBA’s release, it says, “The length of the suspension is based in part on Green’s history of unsportsmanlike acts.”
Here are the five games that Green will miss.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Nov. 16 | vs. Thunder | 10 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Nov. 18 | vs. Thunder | 8:30 p.m. | — |
| Nov. 20 | vs. Rockets | 10 p.m. | — |
| Nov. 22 | at Suns | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Nov. 24 | vs. Spurs | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
Draymond Green suspension history
Over the course of his career, Green has been suspended four times. He has been assessed three technical fouls through nine games in the 2023-24 season.
- April 18, 2023: 1 game for stepping on the chest of Domantas Sabonis in Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
- March 16, 2023: 1 game for picking up his 16th technical foul of the 2022-23 season, triggering an automatic suspension.
- Nov. 13, 2018: 1 game for conduct detrimental to the team following an in-huddle argument with teammate Kevin Durant.
- June 12, 2016: 1 game for accumulating seven flagrant foul points in the playoffs, triggering an automatic suspension.