Golden State’s Draymond Green is set to receive a warning letter from the NBA after picking up his fifth technical foul of the playoffs. However, it’s not just the foul that has him upset, it’s the ongoing narrative surrounding his behavior on the court.
After Golden State’s loss to Minnesota on Thursday night, Green expressed his frustration with the way he’s being portrayed in the media. The foul, which came after he flailed his arms and made contact with Timberwolves’ Naz Reid following a foul. This led to the technical after officials reviewed the play.
Green Responds to “Angry Black Man” NBA Stereotype
In the locker room, Green opened up about the broader issue.
“I’m tired of the agenda to make me look like the angry Black man,” he said to a small group of reporters. “I’m a very successful, educated Black man with a great family, and I’m great at basketball and great at what I do. The agenda to try to keep making me look like an angry Black man is crazy. I’m sick of it. It’s ridiculous.”
If Green gets two more technical fouls in these playoffs, he will face a mandatory one-game suspension by league rule. The league sends a warning letter to any player after their fifth technical of the postseason as well.
After Thursday’s game, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr defended his player, acknowledging that Green’s fiery nature is part of what makes him such a competitive and effective player.
“The same thing that makes him such a competitor and winner puts him over the top sometimes,” Kerr said. “It’s our job to try to help him stay poised, stay composed. But the competition is so meaningful to him that occasionally he goes over the line.”
Green’s career is filled with disciplinary actions, including suspensions and technical fouls. According to data from SportRadar, Green has accumulated 202 technical fouls in his career. Both in the regular season and playoffs. He has faced NBA discipline multiple times. Including a suspension for striking Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic in 2023, another for an altercation with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert. And a suspension for stepping on Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis during the 2023 playoffs. Additionally, Green missed Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals due to an accumulation of flagrant foul points.
As the Golden State-Minnesota series continues, tied 1-1, Green will undoubtedly face more scrutiny. But, as he continues to push back against the “angry Black man” stereotype, it’s clear that his passion for the game and drive to win are what truly define him.
