Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green might be one of the most violent, self-unaware individuals in the NBA and it took a controversial rule proposal from Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla for it to be uncovered fully.
Green disputed an NBA rule change proposal by Mazzulla to re-introduce a level of physicality that’ll added to entertainment value of games. Ironically enough, Green, who knocked out his ex-teammate Jordan Poole, is a notorious out-of-control physical goon and has totaled six career suspensions, isn’t in support of Mazzulla’s vision. The vision that would benefit Green’s reckless style of play the most isn’t one Green can back apparently.
“I get what Joe is trying to get at,” Green said on Thursday’s installment of “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” “More so what he’s saying is the intensity and the (expletive) talking and guys getting testy. We take so much of that out of the game today. I think that’s what he’s getting at but actual physical fights, Joe, I’m here to petition against you and say, ‘No, we’re not doing that.'”
Green added: “I’m gonna leave that to Joe. Joe, you go fight. Smoking Joe.”
The NBA, as-is, doesn’t encourage, promote or glorify benches-clearing brawls. Players resort to jarring matches that keep officials on edge and whistle-ready, which doesn’t separate the league from other professional sports. But MLB teams throw fists, NHL players drop their gloves and the NFL is the most physical sport of them all. Basketball doesn’t rely on Jayson Tatum squaring up with an opposing player for its entertainment value although it helped Green maintain a strong amount of relevancy in recent years.
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Mazzulla, regardless of Green’s stance, likely won’t change his.
“The biggest thing that we rob people of from an entertainment standpoint is you can’t fight anymore,” Mazzulla told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” on Monday. “We should just bring back fighting. You wanna talk about robbing the league of entertainment; what’s more entertaining than a little scuffle? How come in baseball they’re allowed to throw their benches? How come in hockey — I don’t understand.”
We’ve already seen, long ago, what a physically demanding NBA would look like. The Detroit Piston “Bad Boys” of the 1980s were arguably the biggest menaces of all-time and while entertaining, amplified the level of risk for injury to players of that period. Today, with contracts like Tatum’s ($315 million), there’s no incentive to push players to conduct themselves as Green has for years, therefore, it’s (incredibly) likely that Mazzulla’s suggestion will collect dust in commissioner Adam Silver’s mailbox.
Featured image via Rob Gray/Imagn Images
