Draymond Green is set to return to the Warriors soon, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has played a big role in that.
Before the Warriors forward was reinstated by the league on Saturday following a 12-game suspension for punching Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face last month, Green revealed that he had a very vulnerable and honest conversation with the NBA commissioner about walking away from the league. Forever game before Silver takes him out.
silver He spoke to the media Thursday Before the Cleveland Cavaliers-Brooklyn Nets game in Paris, France, he was asked about the conversation he had with Green. The commissioner did not deny the allegation that he persuaded Green not to retire.
“As far as Draymond goes, at the time we were having those conversations, certainly from my perspective, it was private,” Silver said. “That's his right, if he chooses to make it public. There was certainly no agreement between us that everything was private, but I'll leave it up to him to comment on what we discussed.”
“I would speak up if he was saying something that was inconsistent with our discussions. I would conclude by saying that I am glad that he is close to returning. My sense is that he has used his time away from the speakers very much. Productively.”
The NBA suspended Green indefinitely on December 13, one day after the Nurkic incident. The hope among all parties involved was that Green would take the time he needed to focus on himself and correct his thinking before returning to the Warriors.
Green got the green light from the league on Saturday, and returned to Warriors practice a few days later. But on the latest episode of “The Draymond Green Show,” which premiered Monday, the four-time NBA champion admitted that he had several dark days during his time away, and even considered retiring from the game.
“I told him, 'Adam, this is too much for me. This is too much. It's getting to be too much for me — and I'm going to retire,'” Green said. “You're making a very rash decision and I'm not going to let you do that,” Adam said.
“We had a long, great conversation – very rewarding for me. Very grateful to play in a league with a commissioner like Adam who cares more about helping you than hurting you; helping you rather than punishing you. He cares more about the players.”
The Warriors, who sit at 17-20 in the 2023-24 NBA season after a disappointing 2-5 start, would certainly like to have their star defensive end back on the court with them, but they want to make sure the timing is as right as they seem. To turn the season.
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