Among the few surprises at NBA media day (Jimmy Butler looks…normal?), there was one that didn’t particularly shock fans. Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green was involved in a heated exchange with a reporter over what started as a seemingly harmless comment about people being “worried” about Green this season.

“Why they worry about me? I’m a successful Black man in America doing incredibly well,” Green responded. “I don’t think you should worry about me, I’m doing pretty well.”

But the argument didn’t stop there. The reporter continued probing Green and said that Warriors fans were worried about Green because they knew the team needed him and they “didn’t know if [Green] would be here.”

“I’m here, I’ve been here for 13 years now,” Green emphatically replied.

“And if you’re going to be here every night,” the reporter said, hinting at Green’s history of suspensions.

“The guideline of getting suspended is something that’s in place because it’s a possibility,” Green said.

Green is coming off a drama-filled 2023–24 season in which he was suspended twice for different incidents. He was slapped with a five-game suspension for choking Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and also received an indefinite suspension that became a 12-game suspension for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face. Green ended up playing only 55 games last season.

Green’s history of on-court antics could potentially sabotage his 13th year at Golden State, with the league appearing to weigh his previous unsportsmanlike acts in any future disciplinary action.

The less trouble Green gets in, the better as Steph Curry and the Warriors try to build upon a disappointing 46–36 campaign.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Draymond Green Had Tense Argument With Reporter Over Suspensions, Warriors' Availability.

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