There isn’t anyone else in the NBA quite like Warriors forward Draymond Green.
Whether you consider him a loose cannon, a defensive menace or something in between, Green has proven that he knows how to play winning basketball — but his temper has cost him and Golden State at times.
Green has a long history of suspensions in the NBA, and his propensity for technical fouls regularly puts him at risk of another. That’s a dangerous game for the Warriors, who have seen the former Defensive Player of the Year’s antics cost them on the NBA’s biggest stage before.
The Sporting News details Green’s suspensions and rule violations below.
How many times has Draymond Green been suspended?
Green has been suspended six times in his NBA career. He’s received 227 fines, though most were small, standard fines resulting from technical fouls.
21 suspensions were handed out league-wide during the 2024-25 NBA season, including punishments from teams rather than the league office itself. That was a jump compared to 17 in 2023-24, but both figures are dwarfed by the NBA’s 32 suspensions in 2022-23.
With the NBA typically averaging less than one suspension per team each season, six for one player — even over a 13-year career — is certainly high.
Draymond Green suspension timeline
Here’s a closer look at Green’s six suspensions since entering the NBA.
2023: Suspended indefinitely for striking Jusuf Nurkic
Less than a month after a fracas with Rudy Gobert, Green grabbed the NBA’s attention when he swung his arm around and forcefully struck Suns C Jusuf Nurkic on the side of the head.
Green and Nurkic were both a bit physical before Green swung his arm, but officials quickly determined the Warriors veteran’s actions were “excessive” and ejected him from the game.
Because he had just been suspended five games four weeks earlier, the NBA chose to suspend Green indefinitely, forcing him to meet certain conditions before his return. The ban ultimately lasted 12 games and cost Green more than $1.8 million.
2023: Suspended five games for putting Rudy Gobert in headlock
Green’s antics in a brawl with the Timberwolves earned him a five-game suspension from the NBA.
On Nov, 14, 2023, Green asserted himself into an altercation between Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels during the Warriors’ In-Season Tournament game against the Timberwolves, putting Minnesota center Rudy Gobert into a chokehold. Green was ejected for his actions, as were Thompson and McDaniels for starting the fight.
Draymond Green had Rudy Gobert in a sleeper hold pic.twitter.com/yivvAds10c
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) November 15, 2023
2023: Suspended for stepping on Domantas Sabonis’ chest during playoff game
The NBA suspended Green one game for stepping on the chest of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis during a playoff game in 2023.
Green was ejected from the game after the foul. Replay showed the former Defensive Player of the Year plant his foot directly on Sabonis’ chest after getting tangled up, and he appeared to use the chest as a springboard to jump up and get down the court.
The Warriors trailed the series 2-0 after Game 2, but they would go home and win Game 3 on the road without Green. Golden State fell to the Lakers in the second round.
2023: Suspended for season-long technical foul limit
Late in the 2022-23 season, Green was forced to serve a one-game suspension without pay for collecting his 16th technical foul of the year.
Under NBA rules, a player (or coach) is automatically suspended without pay for one game once he receives his 16th technical foul during the regular season. For every two additional technical fouls received during the regular season, the player (or coach) would be suspended for an additional game without pay.
Green picked up his 16th technical foul in the Warriors’ loss to the Clippers on March 15. He served his one-game suspension on March 17 against the Hawks, a game Golden State lost by eight.
2018: Suspension for altercation with teammate Kevin Durant
In 2018, the Warriors suspended Green for one game without pay for “conduct detrimental to the team” following an altercation with his teammate, Durant.
In the final seconds of a regular season game against the Clippers, Green grabbed a rebound and, although Durant was calling for the ball, elected to go coast-to-coast, driving into traffic before turning it over. The Warriors didn’t get a shot off and eventually lost in overtime, but not before Green and Durant had a heated exchange on the sidelines in between periods.
The argument carried into the locker room after the game and has even been acknowledged by both Green and Durant as a turning point in Durant’s eventual departure from Golden State.
2016: Game 5 NBA Finals suspension for altercation with LeBron James
The most famous of all of Green’s suspensions came during the 2016 NBA Finals, where many feel his van cost the Warriors a championship. In Game 4, Green and LeBron James got tangled up at half-court and as James tried to step over Green, Green extended his arm and made contact with James’ groin area.
The original call on the floor was a double foul but the NBA reviewed the play after the game and decided Green’s actions warranted a Flagrant 1 foul. Because Green already had three flagrant foul points during the 2016 NBA Playoffs, his fourth point resulted in his suspension for Game 5.
You know how the rest of the story goes — James led the Cavaliers from down 3-1 to win the championship, knocking off Golden State on its home court in a historic Game 7.
Draymond Green’s most controversial moments
In addition to the moments above, Green has come close to a suspension a number of times.
Kicking Steven Adams in Western Conference Finals
In 2016, Green was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul for kicking Thunder center Steven Adams in the groin during a Western Conference Finals game. He was not suspended for the following game, but he was fined $25,000.
Altercation with Bradley Beal
The following year, Green was fined $25,000 for getting into an altercation with Bradley Beal.
Punching Jordan Poole during practice
Green punched teammate Jordan Poole in the face during practice before the 2022-23 season, with leaked video of the incident confirming it took place.
The footage was ugly and many believed a team-issued suspension would be coming — similar to the Durant situation — but Golden State elected to fine Green and have him step away from the team for a few days.
Green ended up playing in the Warriors’ final preseason game and was available to suit up for the first game of the season despite the controversy.
Scuffle with Pelicans’ Herb Jones
Near the end of the 2022-23 regular season, Green had another scuffle when he was tangled with Pelicans forward Herb Jones. Green made a kicking motion and hit Jones’ back, but nothing came of the altercation aside from a few words exchanged.
In addition to his three suspensions, Green has tallied 208 total technical fouls and had to pay $938,000 in fines in his NBA career; he has also lost $3.2 million in salary through suspensions, according to Spotrac.
Warriors without Draymond Green
The Warriors are 11-10 when missing Green due to suspension, including a 1-1 mark in the playoffs.
Golden State infamously lost Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals without Green before going on to lose the final two games and drop the series to the Cavaliers. The Warriors did pick up a much-needed win without Green in their 2023 first round series against the Kings while Green was suspended, trimming Sacramento’s series lead to 2-1.
The Warriors were 9-8 without Green during his two suspensions during the 2023-24 season. Golden State limped to a 2-3 mark without Green during his first ban, but a five-game win streak pushed the Warriors to 7-5 during his second punishment.
