Stephen A. stunned by Draymond’s first technical foul originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Stephen A. Smith made some colorful comments about Draymond Green technical foul during the Warriors’ first game of the season.
Smith, on Thursday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take” spoke about Green’s argument with a referee in the second quarter of a 139-104 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
“Look, this is what bothers me,” Smith said. “Because I have a lot of love and respect for Draymond, and I hate using the word ‘problem,’ because people take it and use it and extend it beyond the basketball court. Which he finds offensive and I find offensive.
“From March 2023 to December 2023, I think they suspended him like four times. It’s the first game of the season and you know you’re going to beat Portland. Because? Why hire a technician? Because? So that? Because?”
The sports expert doubled down on his criticism and expressed exasperation at Green’s continued pattern of behavior.
“There’s nothing inside you that says, ‘We’ve got this, it’s Game 1, it’s no big deal,'” Smith explained.
“Is there nothing inside you that says that? And so, ultimately, I know that the passion behind it is what makes it great. He’s a future Hall of Famer and you better recognize that he is. The Warriors are not the same without him, they are much better with him. It is an invaluable asset. He is all those things.
“But he is also someone who does some of the most absurd things when it comes to officials. And there is no way to ignore it. And last night it was actionable. Because you know they are going to label you, you know what they are like. You know that at any moment they can wake you up. And if you can’t control yourself, you’ll get a technical in Game 1 of the regular season against the Portland Trail Blazers. If you can’t control yourself and avoid getting a technical then I don’t know what to say.”
Green received a technical foul in the second quarter of the game for arguing with an official over an earlier call. While the foul did not end up impacting the flow of the game as Golden State’s offense lit up the scoreboardIt was another unfortunate outburst from Green.
The 34-year-old is known for his fierce and aggressive playing style, which has gotten him into trouble with the NBA. The low point was last season’s suspension for punching Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face.
Still, Golden State coach Steve Kerr understands that Green’s passionate playing style will keep him racking up technical points.
“You can’t ask Draymond to play with this incredible passion… and then say, ‘No, no. You have to tone it down. It’s all part of the package… There will be a lot of technical aspects,” Kerr said after the win.
Green’s role as a tone-setter and defensive stopper during his 13 seasons with the Warriors has been a large component of the team’s four NBA titles in that span.
With a revamped Golden State team without Klay Thompson, the four-time All-Star will look to keep his temper in check and help the franchise return to postseason glory.
