Draymond Green indefinitely suspended by the NBA after smacking opponent on court
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: TNT Sports
NBA star Daymond Green has been suspended indefinitely after he struck one of his opponents in the face.
This week, the NBA player was ejected for the third time this season during Golden State Warriors' 119-116 defeat by the Phoenix Suns.
The forward swung an arm in the face of Suns centre Jusuf Nurkic, which sent him to the ground in the third quarter.
After reviewing the incident, the referees decided it warranted a flagrant foul 2, which leads to an automatic ejection from the game.
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Green said after the game the hit was accidental.
"I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him," he told reporters.
"I was just selling the call because he was grabbing me and pulling my hip, so I spun away and, unfortunately, I hit him."
Despite that, the NBA has issued the forward with an indefinite suspension - a pretty rare sanction - after taking 'into account Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts'.
"Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.
"This outcome takes into account Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts."
It continued: "Green's suspension will begin immediately. He will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play."
After Green issued his apology following the game, Nurkic remained unhappy with the situation.
"What's going on with him? I don't know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help," he said.
The recent incident comes just a month after Green was given a five-game ban for putting Minnesota Timberwolves centre Rudy Gobert in a headlock during a game on 14 November.
Earlier on in the month, the forward was ejected from a game for two technical fouls against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
And then back in April, Green was suspended during the playoffs after stamping on Sacramento Kings player Domantas Sabonis in a high stakes match.
But perhaps Green's most famous incident comes from some seven years ago when he was suspended for game five of the 2016 NBA Finals versus the Cleveland Cavaliers for a low blow on LeBron James.