Draymond Green Shows Actual Self-Awareness, Says He Didn’t Deserve Applause From Warriors Upon Return From Suspension

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Maybe this return from suspension for Draymond Green is going to be different. Perhaps being forced to miss 12 games, take part in three and a half weeks of counseling, and having a talking to by NBA commissioner Adam Silver were the missing ingredients for him not to be a raging lunatic on the basketball court.

Green was suspended for hitting Phoenix Suns player Jusuf Nurkic in the face on December 12 in what was just the latest of his many outrageously questionable decisions on the hardwood in front of cameras and tens of thousands of people inside the arena.

READ: DRAYMOND GREEN SWEARS HE’S A CHANGED MAN

The four-time NBA champion returned to practice on Tuesday, and while it's only been about 24 hours since he was reinstated, he's at least saying all the right things ahead of his eventual return to game action.

Green explained that he was greeted with a round of applause when he rejoined the team that was kickstarted by rookie Brandin Podziemski. To his credit, Green made it clear that he didn't deserve any sort of round of applause from anyone.

"It's funny. Coach said, 'Welcome back,’ and started clapping and everybody started clapping and I'm like, 'I'm not sure I deserve a round of applause,'" Green said. "But I'll take it. I'm half-joking, but you don't just get grace and I'll take the time and get back when I can."

Green portraying this newly changed man is one thing, but he has a long, long way to go in earning an ounce of trust from fans and media around the league.

It's no secret that the Warriors are happy to have one of their leaders back as they sit at 17-19 on the year and are very much looking for some sort of spark ahead of the All-Star break to get back into contention in the West.

Green certainly has an opportunity to contribute, but also an opportunity, maybe even expectation, to make matters worse.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016, when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.