NBA Rumors: Is Draymond Green A Dirty Player? Forward Kicks James Harden In Face

NBA rumors about Draymond Green being a dirty player surfaced again on Wednesday night (December 1). Green received another flagrant foul playing against the Houston Rockets, this time for kicking James Harden in the face. A report by ESPN quoted Green after the game, where he showed no remorse for what he had done.

“I don’t control what them people do. Whatever they decide is what they decide. It ain’t much I can do about. It ain’t much apparently anybody else can do about it. So I really don’t care what it is. They called it. Got to move on. I really don’t care. They’re going to do what they want to do regardless. It doesn’t make me no difference one way or the other. I thought there was other calls that could have been called flagrants too.”

The latest questionable incident involving Draymond Green took place with 2:10 left in double-overtime. As Green was fouled underneath the basket by James Harden, his fight foot flailed upward and hit Harden in the face. Officials reviewed the play and ruled that it was a flagrant 1, which gave the Houston Rockets two free throws. This isn’t the first time that Green has been punished for kicking another player.

As seen in the video above, Draymond Green kicked Steven Adams in the groin during the 2016 NBA Playoffs. A report by Yahoo Sports pointed out that it was the second-straight game where Green hit Adams in the groin, with many NBA analysts calling Green a “dirty player” for what he was doing on the court. Green received a flagrant foul for what took place in the video as well, later claiming that he didn’t do it on purpose (again).

“I thought it would probably get rescinded. I followed through on a shot. I didn’t try to kick somebody in the midsection. I’m sure he wants to have kids one day. I’m not trying to end that on the basketball court.”

The NBA disagreed with Draymond Green, stating that “we have determined that Green’s foul was unnecessary and excessive and warranted the upgrade and fine.” He ended up with a $25,000 fine for the incident, adding to the negative reputation he was starting to earn around the league.

The NBA rumors about Green have been reinforced due to his track record. Since coming into the league as a rookie during the 2012-13 NBA season, Green has 35 technical fouls, nine disqualifications, five flagrant fouls, and two ejections during regular season games. In the playoffs, Green has an additional eight technical fouls and three flagrant fouls, with those instances just the ones that officials have called on him.

Green has already placed his team in difficult positions before, earning a suspension for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals due to all his flagrant foul points. The Golden State Warriors would lose the game he missed, as well as the final two of the series, which culminated in the team losing the title to the Cleveland Cavaliers. During Game 4 of the series, Green took two swings at LeBron James, leading to his suspension with the Warriors leading the series 3-1.

Draymond Green is putting together another good season for the Golden State Warriors. Through 18 games, he is averaging 10.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. His numbers are down across the board, though, with shooting percentages of just 42.4 from the field and 28.1 from three-point range. Has his role shifted from being a contributor to being the enforcer for the Warriors? While NBA rumors of Green being a dirty player have been around on social media for a while now, could his reputation start hurting the Warriors during games?

[Featured Image by Bob Levey/Getty Images]