Draymond Green was ejected for a questionable flagrant 2 foul on Sunday afternoon, in the first half of Game 1 of the Warriors’ 117-116 in over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Warriors were stunned, and Green, who promptly recorded a postgame podcast, said he was surprised it was considered a flagrant at all, but would have understood if it was a flagrant 1. He, and other NBA players, like Trae Young and Damian Lillard, said it wouldn’t have been called if it wasn’t Green.
Despite an appeal, the NBA upheld the call, which means that if Green has another flagrant 2 or two more flagrant 1s, he will be suspended for a playoff game.
Brandon Clarke, who Green committed the foul on, seemed to confirm the perception of Green being a dirty player. He seemed to take issue with the foul more after watching it.
“He’s been known for flagrant fouls in his career,” Clarke said. “I’ve watched them on TV my whole life it feels like, so I wasn’t really shocked. I don’t really like to flop or nothing, but he did hit me pretty hard twice when I saw it again… It’s not shocking that he did that. It’s something that he’s done in the past.”
Green responded by saying the way he plays has worked out pretty well for him thus far and that he wasn’t surprised by Clarke’s quote “one bit.”
“I will never change the way I play basketball,” Green said. It’s gotten me this far. It’s gotten me three championships, four All-Stars, a Defensive Player of Year. I’m not going to change now.”
He said if he takes the “bite” out of his play, the Warriors would lose anyway and there’s no way he’d change how he plays.
