Kevin Durant and Draymond Green have a complicated relationship, but the former Warrior is hoping Green “gets the help he needs” during his indefinite NBA suspension.
Green hit Durant’s Suns teammate, center Jusuf Nurkic, in the face during Phoenix’s 119-116 home win Tuesday night, resulting in his third ejection of the season and prompting the NBA to suspend Green indefinitely.
“That was insane to see,” Durant said Wednesday night after the Suns’ loss to the Nets. “Glad Nurk is all right. Never seen that before in a basketball court in an NBA game. I hope Draymond gets the help he needs. It’s been incident after incident.
“I know Draymond and that’s no – he hasn’t been that way when I was around him and coming into the league. Hopefully, he gets the help he needs to get back on the court and get back on the court and put all this stuff behind him.”
Green has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons this year and the NBA apparently has finally seen enough.
The Warriors star first choked Rudy Gobert from behind during a scuffle in November, resulting in a five-game suspension.
On Tuesday, he did a full 360 while hitting Nurkic in the face during the third quarter.
“What’s going on with him? I don’t know. Personally, I feel like that brother needed help,” Nurkic said. “I’m glad he [did] not try to choke me.”
The NBA said it took into account “Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts” in levying him with an indefinite suspension.
“He will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play,” the NBA said in a statement.
Green was planning to meet with Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. and his agent, Rich Paul, on Thursday to discuss counseling options.
Durant knows Green from their three seasons as Golden State teammates from 2016-19, but they have not always seen eye to eye.
Their relationship deteriorated toward the end of their time with the Warriors despite the on-court success, resulting in Durant bolting to join the Nets.
They now are on rival Western Conference contenders, but that doesn’t mean Durant can’t hope this time away from the sport helps Green.
Read more
