The star of the Golden State Warriors, Draymond Green, has a close relationship with LeBron James. These two have gotten to be close friends by now. So much so that it’s nearly hard to believe that James and Green were ever declared rivals on the basketball court.
The outspoken Warriors veteran discussed one of the most contentious moments in NBA Finals history, which resulted in his suspension for trying to poke fun at LeBron, in a recent interview.
Draymond Green is suspended for the NBA Finals’ Game 5 in 2016.
It was 2016. At that time, Stephen Curry and company were on the verge of becoming a dynasty, and the Warriors were vying for their second consecutive championship. LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers stood in their way; incidentally, they had already lost that historic Finals series 3-1.
In the fourth quarter of Game 4, Green and LeBron were entangled in a play. In the end, James stepped over the Warriors forward who had struck the deck. As soon as Draymond stood up, he launched a shot in LeBron’s direction since he did not appreciate the gesture:
For his antics, Green was not sent off the field, and the Warriors went on to win Game 4. But after examining the play, the NBA opted to bench Draymond for Game 5.
In Game 5, LeBron and the Cavaliers capitalized on Green’s absence. They proceeded to achieve the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history by winning three games in a row.
News from the Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green Discusses the LeBron James Scandal in Brutally Honest Way
Green reflected on that event from over ten years ago during a recent interview on Shaquille O’Neal’s podcast. In reference to Denver Nuggets player Jamal Murray’s use of a heat pack on the court during their second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the former Defensive Player of the Year talked about the LeBron controversy.
If Green had been in Murray’s position, he would have been punished for the remainder of the playoffs, he says without a doubt.
As for the NBA, Green is confident that if he had been the one to throw the heat pack onto the court during the 2016 NBA Finals, the league would have penalized him much more severely.
