Warriors' Draymond Green Reveals Adam Silver Talked Him Out of NBA Retirement
Draymond Green nearly retired.
The Golden State Warriors forward said Monday on The Draymond Green Show that he contemplated retirement following his indefinite suspension from basketball, but that a meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver convinced him to continue playing (h/t ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski):
"I told him, 'Adam this is too much for me. ... This is too much. It's all becoming too much for me -- and I'm going to retire.' And Adam said, 'You're making a very rash decision and I won't let you do that.'"
"We had a long, great conversation—very helpful to me. Very thankful to play in a league with a commissioner like Adam who's more about helping you than hurting you; helping you than punishing you. He's more about the players."
Green, 33, last played on Dec. 12 and was ejected from that game after striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić on the head with a flailing arm he appeared to whip around purposefully.
That came about a month after he put Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock during a skirmish between the teams. That earned him a five-game suspension.
"The one who choked Rudy, the one who took a wild flail at Jusuf, the one who punched Jordan [Poole] last year—that's the guy who needs to change," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after Green was suspended. "This is not just about an outburst on the court. It's about his life. It's about someone who I believe in, someone I have known for decades, who I love for his loyalty."
Green was suspended indefinitely by the NBA and was required to meet a series of conditions before his reinstatement on Saturday. He's missed 14 games as part of the suspension thus far, and is expected to have a short ramp-up period of practicing and conditioning before returning to the team.
"Green completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players," the league said in a statement. "He has engaged in meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season."
Green is a four-time champion, four-time All-Star, four-time first-team All-Defensive selection and was the 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year. As both a playmaker on offense and a defensive stalwart on the other end, he's been a key figure in Golden State's dynasty.
But his play has also regularly teetered on the edge between aggression and infraction, which has recently led to his being sidelined. Green's intensity has always been one of his calling cards, but of late it's only served to hurt his team.
And if it isn't a trend that changes, the response from the NBA will likely be an even more substantial suspension than this last one.
