Nightmare Come True: Draymond Green Officially Returning on MLK Day
Adam Silver has a dream … that Golden State's Draymond Green will be able to play NBA games without throwing punches.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is finally returning to action after being suspended indefinitely for swinging at Jusuf Nurkic's face.
According to The Athletic / Stadium's Shams Charania, Green's first game back is scheduled for Monday's MLK Day contest against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Draymond Green Is Coming Back; NBA 'Slap On The Wrist' Is Pathetic
Green played his last game on Dec. 12 and was reinstated by the league on Jan. 6.
Commissioner Silver instructed Green to undergo counseling during his time away from action. Silver noted that his talks with Green were positive after the counseling but that the 33-year-old nearly retired after repeated stints of controversy affecting his team, stemming from his careless behavior toward fellow players.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 12: Draymond Green should've been suspended for the season. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Green sat for 16 games. The NBA suspended Green for exhibiting "conduct detrimental to the league," according to the official suspension announcement. He stomped on Domantas Sabonis' chest last season; Draymond's kicked several opponents in the groin; and infamously punched former teammate Jordan Poole in a fit of rage.
A large sect of NBA fans called for the league to suspend Draymond for the entirety of the season. Given the NBA's player-friendly brass, Green's slap-on-the-wrist discipline sent him back into action after a month-long sabbatical.
(Yes, the NBA is not a serious league.)
Monday's game will be in Memphis — pitting the Warriors against a Grizzlies team with an emaciated backcourt after injuries to Ja Morant and Marcus Smart.
Green said in a presser last week that he's changed his ways. The vet's behavior has been increasingly volatile, but Green argues that his "antics" are finally behind him.
Will Green's return be a dream or a nightmare for the Warriors? Check back with OutKick as Draymond batters more players.
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)