OAKLAND–On Sunday afternoon, the NBA announced it fined Draymond Green $25,000 for a “failure to disengage” from Wizards’ guard Bradley Beal during an altercation in Friday’s showdown between Golden State and Washington.
On Sunday night, Green responded to the fine.
Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t pleased.
When asked about the NBA’s decision to fine him for his role in the scuffle with Beal, Green admitted he was naive in thinking the league would take a forgiving approach to doling out its punishment.
Here’s Green’s full quote.
“It came as no surprise to me,” Green said. “I was naive enough to think that the first tech would be rescinded because I said it wasn’t my shoulder but you know, silly me for thinking that they would take the tech back from me. I was also naive enough to think that they would say I got slapped or whatever I got in the face and then grabbed. I don’t know what else you’re supposed to do at that point. I didn’t grab him and slam him. I grabbed him and held my ground. Then they slammed me on top of him. I don’t know what else to do at that point. What did they say? I continued or I..failed to disengage. Like how do you disengage at that point. That sounds like we got him to me. I ain’t never heard that before in my life. You know, out in the world if somebody hits you, you’re allowed to defend yourself. It’s called self defense. If somebody shoots you, you’re allowed to shoot back. You know, it’s self defense. I got hit and didn’t even hit back and got fined. Then for him to get fined only $50,000 and I get fined $25,000. Oubre comes in throwing punches and he gets fined less than me. That just don’t add up to me. I know they ain’t the biggest fan of me. That’s fine, but don’t be so obvious that you’re not the biggest fan of me. That’s just too obvious. So I think at the end of the day, they’re going to make out who they want to make out to be the bad guy. That’s cool. But be fair across the board. We’ve got presidents of teams giving middle fingers on national TV and nothing is said. You don’t want to shine the light on somebody else. They got someone else to be the bad guy. You know, just keep being me. I guess I’m not supposed to be me. But that shit don’t work either. So it is what it is, man. I wish I had a better answer. I really don’t got a better answer. Failure to disengage. I don’t know what that means. Getting punched, grabbed and slammed is maybe what that means. But yeah, I don’t know. Like I said, it’s no surprise. I’m the same guy who got another man growing on my shoulder and I was wrong for it. Maybe it’s just me. I can’t…I would say defend myself but I really didn’t defend myself. You know, so I would say I probably can’t protect myself.”
Green was also asked a follow-up question about the first technical foul he received, which came after he argued a foul call with an official.
“All I said was how do I back down?” Green said. “I said it wasn’t my shoulder. He gave me a tech. So like I said, I was naive enough to believe that one would get rescinded. But as I said, silly old me. To think that one would get taken back from me. I don’t know.”
Green concluded his thoughts after a third question about the incident, and said he’s still watching video from the altercation.
“I’m still watching that video over again trying to figure out what I did wrong. I don’t know, man. It’s interesting. It’s interesting,” Green said.
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