"Draymond Green put this man in a reverse chokehold" - NFL great stands with NBA's decision to suspend Warriors superstar
Following Tuesday night's scuffle between Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert, the Warriors forward received a five-game suspension from the NBA, as per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. With discussions surrounding the suspension given to warrant Green's actions, NFL legend Michael Irvin supports the league's decision regarding the disciplinary action given, as per FS1's "Undisputed."
"Draymond Green put this man in a reverse chokehold," Irvin said. "You can't put a man in a reverse chokehold and not let him go because of the optics of it. It just looks too bad, you can't be on a basketball court or any sport in an arena, football, baseball, when you're grabbing somebody choking him out like this. You just can't do it."
Irvin specifically highlighted the severity of Draymond Green's actions and how one is not allowed to put another person in a reverse chokehold. What Green also did with his chokehold over Gobert was that it took a number of players to restrain him before he finally let go of the Timberwolves center.
NBA EVP Joe Dumars mentioned that Draymond Green's track record with unsportsmanlike conduct was a huge factor when it came to the length of the suspension.
Green's recent ejection was his second one this season, after the first ejection that happened last Saturday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In that game, Green was seen giving Donovan Mitchell a shove when they were getting busy down low for the rebound.
In retaliation, Mitchell went at Draymond Green and gave him a light shove as well, resulting in a second technical foul and an ejection for the Warriors forward.
Rudy Gobert reacts to Draymond Green's five-game suspension
Following the five-game suspension handed to Green, Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert was not too pleased with the decision, as per Star Tribune's Chris Hine.
"You know every situation is different," Gobert said, "but to me that was more than just a reaction. That was a personal attack. Me being fined when I chose to, when I was being a peacemaker and I chose to keep my hands up while I was being assaulted, is shameful. Shameful. And I'm gonna appeal that fine."
Simply put, Rudy Gobert felt that Draymond Green's chokehold move was more than just a mere reaction but on par with a personal attack. As Gobert tried to be the mediator between Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels, he joins the two players in receiving a $25,000 fine for the roles they played in the scuffle. Gobert found the fine "shameful" and even mentioned his decision to appeal it.
Additionally, in the five games that Green will be missing, he is estimated to lose $770,000, as per Hine's report.