After being initially defensive over his players involved the scuffle at the start of Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has changed his stance somewhat after a few days to digest the actions of Draymond Green.
“I don’t have a problem with [Green] trying to get Rudy [Gobert] off of Klay [Thompson] … but he’s got to let go,” Kerr said Thursday. “He hung on for six, seven seconds. It was a terrible visual for the league, for Draymond and for everybody.”
That’s a markedly different comment than the one that Kerr had immediately after the game Tuesday saying: “If you watch the replay, Rudy had his hands on Klay’s neck and that’s why Draymond went after Rudy. And I saw one replay right after it happened, guys on the back of the bench said Rudy had Klay and that’s why Draymond went after Rudy.”`
The NBA handed down a five game suspension to Green for his chokehold on Wolves center Gobert, who was fined $25,000 along with teammate Jaden McDaniels and the Warriors’ Thompson for their roles in the incident.
Green also loses $769,970 due to the suspension.
In the league’s announcement Wednesday night, NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars said Green had escalated an on-court altercation “in an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner.” Dumars also said Green’s past offenses played a role in the length of the suspension.
There will be plenty of time for the two teams to cool off, with the next meeting between them not coming until March, 24 at Target Center.
“Draymond has to find a way to not cross the line,” Kerr continued Thursday. “I’m not talking about getting an ejection or a technical, I’m talking about a physical act of violence. That’s inexcusable. We have to do everything we can to give him the help and assistance he needs to be able to draw that distinction between being an incredible competitor … but he can’t cross that line. He crossed it the other night, for sure.”
