Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green mentioned his 2023 flagrant foul on then-Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić when asked this week to name the fight he regrets most during his NBA career.
Answering a fan question on the Draymond Green Show, Green said, “I’m not one that lives with regrets. That’s not really how I roll, so I don’t know that that’s the right word. But I think one moment that I really look back on is actually the moment with Jusuf Nurkić because I actually think that moment cost me an opportunity to win a third old medal. I look back and that one and be like, ‘Man, that sucks,’ but like I said, I don’t live my life with any regrets.”
Green also said he hasn’t had “many fights” during his career, while noting that he prefers to refer to fights as “moments.”
During the Warriors’ 119-116 loss to the Suns on Dec. 12, 2023, Green and Nurkić were jockeying for position when Green spun around and struck Nurkić in the side of the head.
Green was assessed a flagrant-2 foul, ejected from the game and suspended indefinitely by the NBA. He was permitted to return to the court after missing 12 games.
While he was part of the 2016 and 2020 United States Olympic men’s basketball teams that won gold medals, Green was not selected for the 2024 squad, which also went on to win gold.
No public statement was made by USA Basketball regarding why Green was not chosen, but Green seems to believe his foul on Nurkić played a role.
Green is known for his hard-nosed style of play, which has caused him to pile up technical and flagrant fouls over the years, along with occasionally being on the receiving end of some suspensions.
That has cost Green and the Warriors at times, including during the 2016 NBA Finals when he struck then-Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James in the groin area, resulting in Green getting suspended for Game 5.
The Cavs won that game and went on to win the series, and Green missing Game 5 has often been singled out as the turning point of the series.
At the same time, Green’s physicality has led to a great deal of success over the years, including winning four NBA titles with the Warriors.
Green is also a four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, nine-time NBA All-Defensive Team choice and one-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
While Green’s career averages of 8.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block per game don’t jump off the page, his list of accolades is long, putting him in position to potentially be honored as a Hall of Famer one day.