May 24th 2024.
The NBA recently made headlines when they fined Denver Nuggets' star player, Jamal Murray, a whopping $100,000 for throwing a heat pack onto the court during a heated playoff game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on May 6. Surprisingly, the league decided not to suspend Murray for his actions, causing quite a stir among fans and players alike. One player who was particularly vocal about this decision was Golden State Warriors' forward, Draymond Green.
In a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, Green opened up to NBA legend, Shaquille O'Neal, about his frustrations with Murray's punishment. He claimed that if he had done something similar, he would have been suspended for the rest of the playoffs. Green referenced a past incident where he was suspended during the NBA Finals for attempting to strike LeBron James, stating, "I got suspended for trying to make contact." He also expressed his concern about the lack of consistency in punishments for players' actions, saying, "The problem I have oftentimes with the suspensions and different things is that you don't know what it is. It just kind of moves. There is no set, 'You do this, you get this. You do that, you get that.' It's all over the place."
Green also pointed out the disparity in punishments he receives compared to others, without acknowledging his own history of unsportsmanlike behavior. He exclaimed, "I think it was absolutely insane that [Murray] gets a $100,000 fine and no suspension for throwing a heat pack at an official. I mean, I throw a word at an official and they throw me under the jail!" It was clear that Green felt that his past actions were taken into account when determining his punishments, while others seemed to get off lightly.
This conversation between Green and O'Neal took place in May 2024, but it's worth noting that in December 2023, Green was suspended indefinitely by the NBA for striking Phoenix Suns' center, Jusuf Nurkić, in the face. The league stated that this decision was influenced by Green's repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts and that he would have to meet certain conditions before being allowed to return to play. After sitting out 12 games, Green was finally reinstated on January 6.
It's clear that Green's frustrations with the NBA's inconsistent punishments were not unfounded. While he acknowledged his own past behavior, he felt that others were getting off easy for similar actions. This case with Murray's fine and no suspension only added fuel to the fire, causing players and fans to question the fairness of the league's disciplinary actions. It remains to be seen if the NBA will address these concerns and create a more definitive punishment system in the future.
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