Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas appeared to praise — seemingly in a joking manner — Warriors forward Draymond Green for striking Suns big Jusuf Nurkic in the face during their game in Phoenix on Tuesday.
During a recent episode of his “Gil’s Arena Underdog Fantasy” podcast, Arenas jokingly encouraged Green — who is suspended indefinitely by the NBA for his hit on the Bosnian pro — to continue his unsportsmanlike behavior in order to target more European players in the NBA.
“I know what Dray doing,” Arenas said with a laugh, while others around him also chuckled. “He’s taking care of these Euros one at a time … I get it, baby. Do your thing!
“He’s got about six or seven more!”
Arenas shared the clip of his reaction on X with a bunch of a crying-laughing emojis.
“Dray see these Euros takin the league from our people and fighting back,” he wrote.
3 Gilbert Arenas praises Draymond Green for smacking Jusuf Nurkic in the face during a Warriors-Suns game on Dec. 12, 2023. X
“I SEE YA DRAY.”
The Gil’s Arena YouTube channel posted the full clip with the caption: “Gilbert Arenas’ SAVAGE Reaction To The Draymond Smack.”
“Man, what are we really talking about? Why do we care?” Arenas said. “He hitting third options. He hit Rudy [Gobert], nobody cared man. He hit Nurkic, nobody cared.”
Arena was referring to Minnesota center Rudy Gobert, a French player, who was put in a headlock by Green during a Warriors-Timberwolves game on Nov. 14.
Green served a five-game suspension from the NBA.
The NBA announced Wednesday that Green is suspended indefinitely following his ejection for hitting Nurkic in the face during the Suns’ 119-116 win over the Warriors.
Green was ejected early in the third when he got tangled up with Nurkic and inexplicably spun around and smacked Nurkic in the face.
3 Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected early in the third quarter when he got tangled up with Suns big Jusuf Nurkic and inexplicably spun around and smacked him in the face during a game on Dec. 12, 2023. X
It marked Green’s 18th career ejection, the most among active NBA players.
After the game, Green apologized to Nurkic and said he did not intend to hit him.
Green and his agent, Rich Paul, will meet with Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. on Thursday to start the conversation about what his suspension will look like, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The NBA said its decision to suspend Green indefinitely “takes into account Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike conduct.”
3 Jusuf Nurkic #20 of the Phoenix Suns puts up a shot over Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors during an NBA game at Footprint Center on December 12, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. Getty Images
He will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play.
The Gobert headlock followed a separate incident in April, when Green stepped on the chest of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis — a Lithuanian-American player — during Game 2 of the Warriors-Kings first-round playoff series.
The NBA suspended Green for Game 3, which Golden State won.
Separately, Green took time away to work on himself after he punched his former teammate, Jordan Poole, in the face during a Warriors closed practice in October 2022.
Green signed a four-year, $100 million contract in the offseason.
He will lose $154,000 per game if he is suspended for less than 20 games — and $203,000 per game if more than 20, according to ESPN.