Draymond Green just couldn’t help himself. In what’s becoming almost a postseason tradition, the Golden State Warriors’ forward is once again making headlines not for a triple-double or a clutch stop, but for what came out of his mouth.
The NBA slapped Green with a $50,000 fine on Wednesday after he made what the league called an “inappropriate comment” to the officials during Game 3 of the Warriors’ second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The league said his words crossed the line and questioned the integrity of the referees.
What Did He Say Exactly?
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, after fouling out of the game his fifth technical of the playoffs, by the way Draymond was caught on camera mouthing, “5.5. I know what y’all doing.” That’s not just a random number. He was talking about the game’s betting spread.
Yep. Green was basically suggesting the refs had money on the line or were at least aware of it. The Warriors lost that game 102 to 97, just barely covering the 5.5-point spread. That little nugget didn’t sit well with the league office, who’ve made it crystal clear they don’t take kindly to players implying rigged outcomes, especially in the age of legal sports betting.
The Growing Rap Sheet
Let’s be honest this isn’t new for Draymond. The man has been fined nearly $1 million over his career, with $992,000 total and $185,000 of that just for actions toward officials. Add in suspensions and he’s forfeited another $3.2 million in salary.
Need a reminder? He was famously suspended for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals after racking up too many flagrant fouls. And then there was last year’s playoff moment where he stomped on Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis like it was WrestleMania.
Warriors in Trouble
Meanwhile, things aren’t looking too sunny for Golden State. They’re trailing the Timberwolves 3 to 1 in the series and could be without Steph Curry for Game 5. That game’s basically a must-win, and it’s happening in Minnesota.
Without their leader and with Draymond racking up fines like frequent flyer miles, the Warriors are going to need more than just passion and trash talk to survive.
One thing’s for sure if Draymond’s on the court, the refs better have thick skin and maybe even some earplugs.
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