Getty Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves is guarded by Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green broke his silence after Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert called his chokehold of him a “clown behavior.”
“Things can be interpreted how people want to interpret them,” Green said via ESPN, speaking for the first time since the incident. “I’m not here to judge people’s interpretations or try to change them. They are what they are. I know that for me, I am always going to be there for my teammates. That’s who I am. That’s who I am as a teammate, that’s who I am as a friend. … Right, wrong or indifferent, look to your side and I’ll be there — or even in front of you.”
In his eyes, he was only defending his longtime teammate, Klay Thompson. But Gobert and the NBA didn’t see it that way.
Green and Gobert share a history of petty fights. It reached a boiling point on November 14 when Green violently grabbed Gobert, locking his head in a chokehold as a fight broke out between the Warriors and Timberwolves.
It all started between Thompson and Jaden McDaniels, who grabbed and pushed each other after a rebound scuffle. Gobert insisted he was only trying to pacify things when he wrapped his arms around Thompson to pull him away from his teammate. Green saw it otherwise.
As Green makes his much-anticipated return following a five-game suspension after the incident, he wants to move forward. But he will not stop defending his teammates.
“I don’t live my life with regrets,” Green said. “I’ll come to a teammate’s defense any time that I’m in a position to come to a teammate’s defense. … What matters to me is how the people that I care about feel, first and foremost. How are the people that I care about affected? How are the people I care about, what do they have to deal with? That’s it for me.”
Draymond Green to Play Heavy Minutes Right Away
Warriors coach Steve Kerr plans to thrust Green back into the starting lineup like he never left.
“He’s been working hard with Rick [Celebrini]. He traveled to Phoenix with us, played 3-on-3, I believe he scrimmaged [Friday]—I’m not positive about that,” Kerr said via Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “But he’s been really putting a ton of work in, so hopefully he’ll be fine and ready to play a lot of minutes on Tuesday.”
Green, the Warriors’ defensive anchor, was sorely missed as they struggled to a 2-3 record without him. They are 5-4 with Green in the lineup this season.
The veteran forward is averaging 8.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists this season.
Stephen Curry Tempers Expectations
While they are excited to have Green back, Stephen Curry tempered expectations.
“Draymond being back helps a lot not just because of what he does defensively but the way he
communicates, but it won’t solve everything,” Curry said. “So, we have to address those especially going to Sacramento. We know how [potent] their offense is.”
The Warriors have the Kings’ numbers. They beat them 122-114 during their first meeting of the season on October 27. Then they repeated on November 1, but barely won thanks to Thompson’s game-winner. Kings’ top player De’Aaron Fox missed that game with an injury.
The Kings are on the crest of a massive 124-111 victory against the Timberwolves, the NBA’s top defensive team this season.