What did Draymond Green say about putting Rudy Gobert in headlock? Warriors star responds for first time since ugly incident

Draymond Green was ejected and suspended for five games following his altercation with Rudy Gobert on Nov. 14 in a game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors. Green was subjected to heavy criticism on social media as well as within the league.

However, when the Warriors superstar was asked if he regretted his actions during the game, he said he didn’t regret his actions which led to his suspension. The four-time champion also said that he wants to play the game his way and that would never change about him.

However, Green acknowledged that his absence from the team heavily affects the Warriors’ chance to make playoffs this season. He said he has to grow as a veteran player to help his team with his presence on the court and for that, he needs to avoid such situations.

On Nov. 14, in an NBA In-Season Tournament game, when Jaden McDaniels and Klay Thompson got into a scuffle, Rudy Gobert wrapped his arms around Thompson. As he tried to pull Klay away from McDaniels, Green put Gobert in a headlock while pulling him backward for seconds.

Green already had a technical in the first quarter and with the second technical, he was ejected from the game. After the NBA announced a five-game suspension for Green, Steve Kerr, the Warriors' head coach also said that Green’s actions were “inexcusable”.

Rudy Gobert calls out Draymond Green for his “clown behavior”

Rudy Gobert was fined $25,000 for the altercation that involved him and several other players. However, the Warriors claimed Rudy was as reckless and violent in the situation as Green was and should have been suspended.

Gobert, on the other hand, believes that he was the bigger person in the situation and stood calm because he knew his teammates needed him. He also said that Green displayed "clown behavior" and asked the league to take action.

"Just clown behavior. I'm proud of myself for being the bigger man, again and again. It doesn't even deserve me putting my hands on him. My team needed me tonight, so I wanted to keep my cool and not make the situation worse.”

To think about the altercation between Rudy Gobert and Draymond Green in isolation would be an incomplete picture. The rivalry between the two defensive stars has been going on since 2017 when Green and Gobert were in the reckoning for the Defensive Player of the Year. Since then Green and Gobert have been taking shots at each other via both social media and media interviews.