Draymond Green, the Golden State Warriors forward and a likely Hall of Famer, revisited the controversial moment when he put Rudy Gobert in a chokehold during a recent episode of the Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet’s podcast, ‘Unguarded.’ Green expressed surprise at how long he had held Gobert during the on-court altercation, a move that attracted significant attention and criticism.
Green Admits Underestimating Duration of Chokehold
Green revealed he hadn’t realized the full extent of the incident until he reviewed footage in the locker room after the game. He said,
“I’m going to tell you this though, I did not realize I was choking him that long. I did not realize I had him that long,”
and added,
“See when I got back to the locker room, I was watching this and I was like, ‘damn, this is bad.’ I didn’t realize I had him that long.”
Reflecting further, Green spoke with members of the equipment staff about the repercussions, stating,
“Once I saw how long it was I just went inside the equipment room, I was talking to the equipment guys and I said, ‘Damn man, what do you think is going to happen?’”
He recalled their response,
“And they were like, ‘Dray, you held him for so long.’ I’m like bro I didn’t think it was that long.”
NBA Response and Consequences Following the Altercation
The NBA responded firmly to the episode by suspending Green for five games. By contrast, the other players caught up in the incident—Rudy Gobert, Klay Thompson, and Jaden McDaniels—all received fines but no suspensions. The league’s decision to suspend Green was influenced in part by his history of previous misconduct.
Green’s Career and Legacy Amid Controversy
Selected as the 35th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Draymond Green has spent all 14 of his NBA seasons with the Warriors. While his skill and leadership have earned him recognition as a future Hall of Famer, moments like the chokehold incident have also shaped his controversial reputation and public perception.
