Warriors' Draymond Green Doesn't Regret Putting T-Wolves' Rudy Gobert in Headlock
November 27, 2023
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green just served a five-game suspension for his role in an on-court fight during which he put Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock, but the four-time NBA champion has no regrets about the situation.
"I don't live my life with regrets," Green said following the Warriors' practice on Sunday, per ESPN's Kendra Andrews.
"I'll come to a teammate's defense any time that I'm in a position to come to a teammate's defense. ... What matters to me is how the people that I care about feel, first and foremost. How are the people that I care about affected? How are the people I care about, what do they have to deal with? That's it for me."
Green was defending teammate Klay Thompson early on in the T-Wolves' 104-101 win over the Dubs in a Nov. 14 In-Season Tournament game.
Shayna Rubin of the Mercury News explained what went down.
"Green's suspension stems from a scuffle between the Warriors and Timberwolves on Nov. 14 that started with Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels getting into it at center court. Green saw Gobert grab Thompson to pull him away from the scrum — something players concede breaks an unwritten rule not to put hands on an opposing player when breaking up a fight.
"Green saw that and pulled Gobert away — but held him in a headlock for a few seconds too long."
There's a documented history between Green and Gobert, two of the most honored defensive players in the past decade. As Andrews noted, though, Green didn't say whether any past beef had anything to do with his actions.
"Things can be interpreted how people want to interpret them. I'm not here to judge people's interpretations or try to change them. They are what they are. I know that for me, I am always going to be there for my teammates. That's who I am. That's who I am as a teammate, that's who I am as a friend. ... Right, wrong or indifferent, look to your side and I'll be there -- or even in front of you."
Green, a four-time All-Star and four-time NBA All-Defensive First Team member, is averaging 8.8 points, 5.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds in his 12th NBA season. He will return for the Warriors on Tuesday at the Sacramento Kings.