Rudy Gobert Talks Draymond Green’s Indefinite Suspension: ‘I Have Empathy for Him’

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Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert suggested Thursday night that he feels bad for Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green after the NBA announced this week that he has been suspended indefinitely for repeated on-court incidents.

Speaking to reporters after the T-Wolves’ 119-101 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Gobert said: “I have empathy for him. You see somebody that’s not well inside and suffering. You take away the game and all that, and you want somebody to be well and be able to do what we do every night and compete and be happy.”

Before striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face on Tuesday, which was the impetus for the indefinite suspension, Green was suspended five games last month for putting Gobert in a chokehold during a 116-110 loss to Minnesota.

The incident between Gobert and Green started when Gobert grabbed Warriors guard Klay Thompson to break up an altercation between him and Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels:

Green grabbed Gobert in a chokehold from behind and held it for a significant amount of time before officials were finally able to break it up.

In an interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Green admitted that he didn’t realize the severity of the chokehold in the moment, saying: “When I watched it back, I said, ‘Damn, I held him much longer than I realized in that moment.’ But the reality is, in those moments, you don’t know what time is. You don’t have a sense of time.”

After the altercation happened, Gobert spoke to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski and Sam Amick and expressed his belief that Green was trying to injure him, saying: “It was a long time, and if he knew how to choke it could have been way worse. His intention was to take me out.”

The incident involving Green and Nurkić was arguably even worse, as Green spun around and essentially punched Nurkić in the face, sending the 7-footer down to the floor:

Per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made it clear this week that he is in support of the NBA’s decision to suspend Green indefinitely.

Kerr preached the importance of getting Green the help he needs, saying: “The one who choked Rudy, the one who took a wild flail at Jusuf, the one who punched Jordan [Poole] last year—that’s the guy who needs to change. This is not just about an outburst on the court. It’s about his life. It’s about someone who I believe in, someone I have known for decades, who I love for his loyalty.”

Green’s suspension comes at a tough time for the Warriors, as they are a disappointing 10-14 and have lost three games in a row.

Due to his rebounding, passing and tenacious defense, Green was a huge part of the Warriors teams that won four championships in eight years.

He could also prove to be a factor in the Warriors’ potential turnaround this season, but he won’t be back on the court until he satisfies the conditions put forth by the NBA.