Draymond Green reveals Adam Silver talked him out of retirement: Why did the Warriors star want to call it quits?
Draymond Green revealed on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, released Monday, that he seriously contemplated retiring when the NBA put him on indefinite suspension.
Green expressed that the situation had become overwhelming for him, prompting him to consider walking away from the game.
However, he credited commissioner Adam Silver with dissuading him from making a hasty decision. He recounted Silver’s response, “You’re making a very rash decision and I won’t let you do that.”
Green highlighted their extensive and positive conversation, expressing gratitude for having a commissioner like Adam who prioritizes supporting players over punitive measures.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Green and Silver indeed had such a conversation, but the person wished to remain anonymous due to lack of authorization to publicly discuss the exchange.
Although the NBA lifted Green’s indefinite suspension, he did not participate in Golden State’s recent game against Toronto following the resolution.
Draymond Green’s NBA suspension: Impact and redemption journey
On December 13, the NBA indefinitely suspended Green for “hitting Jusuf Nurkić, the Phoenix Suns center, in the face” during a game the previous day.
Displaying openness and emotions, Green admitted his fault in the incident, saying, “I was wrong, I accept my mistake and I apologize.”
He added, “The whole incident has brought pain. It has caused embarrassment to my wife, children, parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends. It even led to threats against my mother’s life.”
Green continued, “My two school-aged children face repercussions when they go to school.”
Intending to ensure appropriate action, the league has mandated that Green must fulfill certain conditions set by the league and his team before resuming play.
The suspension, which is without pay, has led Green to forfeit $1.84 million.
Green narrated how on December 14, Steve Kerr, the coach for the Warriors, visited him.
An emotional exchange between the two ensued, with Kerr advising Green, “You need to end this right, and we all need to end this right.”
“But you are not doing it right now. So, do what needs to be done to place yourself where you can do the right thing so we can all do it.”
The Warriors, now at 17-19 and 7-6 since Green’s suspension, will play their next game at home against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.
Before the suspension, Green had an average of 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game, with a shooting rate of 49% from the floor over 15 games.
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