Golden State Warriors’ star Draymond Green’s return to the basketball court after his lengthy suspension by the NBA for “unsportsmanlike acts” earned him boos from Memphis Grizzlies fans over the holiday weekend.
According to CBS Sports, as Green entered the game at Memphis’ FedEx Forum on January 15, Grizzlies
fans made their displeasure known.The veteran forward returned from what was initially an indefinite suspension that only lasted 12 games. Green missed another four to get into game condition.
The Warriors lost 116-107 in a nationally televised to a depleted Grizzlies team missing stars Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Marcus Smart.
Green came off the bench to only play 24 minutes. He ended up with seven points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a steal.
He did criticize the team’s play afterward. The Warriors, two years removed from an NBA championship, have struggled this season, going 18-22. They are thirteenth in the Western Conference playoff race.
“You just gotta have pride in yourself as a man that I’m not gonna let my guy score,” Green said. “Our closeouts were too soft. Our rotations were too slow. So there’s just no pride. Until every guy takes pride in themselves and wants to stop the guy in front of him, we’ll suck.”
The Warriors have a chance to play with more effort against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 17 in Salt Lake City.
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