In a recent episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green opened up about a conversation with NBA commissioner Adam Silver that convinced him to reconsider his decision to retire.
Green shared:
“I told him, ‘Adam, this is too much for me… It’s all becoming too much for me, and I’m going to retire.’ And Adam said, ‘You’re making a very rash decision, and I won’t let you do that.'”
“This is too much. It’s all becoming too much for me, and I’m going to retire.”
Draymond Green told Adam Silver he contemplated retirement during their meeting before his indefinite suspension. 😳 pic.twitter.com/rgv6VIPwJi
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) January 8, 2024
Draymond contemplated retiring from the NBA following his on-court altercation with center Jusuf Nurkic in the game against the Phoenix Suns on December 12, 2023. After the heated moment, he received a Flagrant 2 foul and ejection.
The incident with Jusuf Nurkic led the league to suspend Green indefinitely on December 14, 2023.
The Warriors’ star, however, was reinstated on January 7, 2024, after serving a 12-game suspension.
Reflecting on the conversation with Silver, Green expressed gratitude, stating:
“We had a long, great conversation—very helpful to me. Very thankful to play in a league with a commissioner like Adam who’s more about helping you than hurting you; helping you than punishing you. He’s more about the players.”
After the incident, Draymond Green received significant criticism from fans, which might have affected his mental well-being and contributed to his retirement decision.
Currently, the Warriors face a tough schedule with a back-to-back on the road against the Chicago Bulls (Friday) and Milwaukee Bucks (Saturday), followed by a game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
Shifting gears to the broader NBA landscape, the Western Conference standings in the 2023-24 season reveal the Minnesota Timberwolves leading with a solid 25-10 record. However, they face recent challenges. The Denver Nuggets closely trail with a 26-12 record, showcasing consistency and holding a half-game lead.
The Oklahoma City Thunder sits in the third spot, trailing by 1.5 games. The LA Clippers and Sacramento Kings round out the top five. Tied in the sixth spot are the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans, both with a 22-15 record. The Mavericks enjoy a three-game winning streak, while the Pelicans won their last game.
The Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets are in the playoff mix, closely trailing the Pelicans and Mavericks. On the flip side, traditional powerhouses like the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs find themselves at the bottom of the standings, with the Spurs facing a significant struggle at 5-30.
