Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was hit with a $50,000 fine from the NBA “for an inappropriate comment that questions the integrity of game officials,” the league announced on Wednesday ahead of Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Green was caught on TV making the “inappropriate” comment with 15 seconds left in the Warriors’ 102-97 loss in Game 3.
The video quickly went viral, with several fans lip-reading Green’s comment.
“What he said is his actual feelings,” Pat McAfee commented on his ESPN show on May 12. “That is just what was being said, especially whenever the clip comes out. Everybody knew that the spread was five and a half. Draymond Green is saying, ‘five and a half,’ I know what they’re (referees) doing. I know what they’re doing… I think this is a big story, too.”
Not the First Time
ESPN’s Shams Charania told McAfee that it was not the first time an NBA player made inappropriate comment during the game that questioned the integrity of the game officials.
“I just see what everyone is–you can pick up through the lip readers all across the internet– I mean, clearly he seems like he’s saying what he’s saying, the five and a half [money line spread],” ESPN’s Shams Charania told McAfee at the time. “First of all, it’s impressive that–I mean, I don’t know. Maybe I just don’t even pay attention to it.
“I have no idea what that is but clearly Draymond knew in the moment and this is not the first or the last time that a player has I guess tried to intimate that the refs [about the spread]. There was a time of Rudy Gobert, actually other players go like this, they ‘Show the money’ sign to the refs and they get fined by the league by essentially improperly kind of implying things toward the officiating.”
Gobert was fined $75,000 last year for rubbing his fingers together in a “money sign” to the referees last year in the second round series between the Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets.
Draymond Green Says They Don’t Need ‘Superman’
The Warriors are in a win-or-go-home situation after losing the last three games without their star Stephen Curry, who sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Game 1.
Green is cautiously optimistic about his longtime teammate’s return in the series.
“Nah, we’re not going to Superman this thing. If he’s in a place where he can play, I’m sure he will,” Green told reporters after the Warriors lost Game 4.
“Him and [Warriors director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celebrini] and everyone else will figure that out, but we don’t need Superman. You’ve got to play the long game, so if he can, we know he will. But there’s no pressure. We’ve got to find a way to win whether he plays or not.”
Steph Curry Makes Progress in Hamstring Injury Recovery
Curry has been cleared to participate in light on-court workouts, including shooting drills after he was re-evaluated on Wednesday, the team announced.
The Warriors star will be re-evaluated on Saturday, a day before Sunday’s Game 6 if Green and the rest of the team can pull off a win in Game 5 on the road.
The 37-year-old Curry is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 22.6 points per game in their playoff run before the injury. He is also averaging 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
“As far as Steph, he’s working his tail off every day,” Green said. “You know, he’s in here eight, nine hours a day, working, doing what he can to try to get back. So, you know, his morale is great. Obviously, nobody’s excited right now, but he’s working to get back. That’s all you can do it at this point.”
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