Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors is not happy with how the NBA criticizes his kicking incidents. (Photo : Getty Images/Thearon W. Henderson)
In the past few months, Golden State Warrior Draymond Green has been notorious in the league as someone who uses his legs to hurt opponents. And after being criticized by the NBA for accidentally kicking James Harden in the head, the Warriors' glue guy was not having any of it.
In the Warriors' double overtime loss against the Houston Rockets just last week, Green, who was going for a shot with a little over two minutes in second overtime, was fouled by Harden but the collision caused the former Michigan State alum's leg to flail upwards and hit the Rockets star in the head.
Harden was called for the shooting foul but Green was called for a flagrant. Green went one-of-two at the line while Harden drained both free throws and with the free possession from Green's flagrant foul, the Rockets buried another shot for a comfortable six-point cushion. And as per Business Insider, Green's kicking antics cost the Warriors, who were at a 12-game winning streak at that time, the game.
"I just laugh at it because it's funny how you can tell me how I get hit and how my body is supposed to react," Green told Chris Haynes of ESPN.
The rowdy forward added that the people who make the rules around the league could not even touch the rim "yet they tell you [that] you are way up there in the air and which way your body [is supposed to react]."
According to ESPN, league sources told that Green is not expected to get added discipline for what happened.
Green's notoriousness as a kicking machine started in the Warriors' Western Conference finals matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder last summer after kicking Thunder center Steven Adams in the groin. The incident happened twice.
In 21 games, Green has been a pivotal part of Golden States' league-best 18-3 record with an average of 10.2 points, 8.6 boards and 7.5 assists.
