Michigan State Legend a Prominent Part of Physical Playoff Series
Michigan State legend Draymond Green brushed off the Houston Rockets’ crowd chanting “F--- you, Draymond” in the Golden State Warriors' 109-94 Game 2 loss on Wednesday.
Green has been one of the most polarizing figures in the sport for almost a decade, so the chants by the Rockets’ faithful were nothing he hadn't heard before.
“It’s not original, been there before, won a championship while it happened," Green said. “Can’t steal other peoples’ sh--, that belongs to Boston, so I kind of just kept it pushing.”
The two games of the series between Houston and Golden State have been physical, and there has been no shortage of confrontations.
In the loss, Green was called for a technical foul after getting tangled up with Rockets center Alperen Sengun. He also caught an elbow from Houston guard Jalen Green that was called a flagrant 1 foul.
Green has a history of being in the middle of confrontations on the court, especially in the playoffs.
In the first round of the 2023 playoffs, Green stomped on the chest of Kings center Domantas Sabonis. He received a one-game suspension for his unsportsmanlike action, but Golden State was able to win the series in seven games.
In Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals, Green received a technical foul for a confrontation with LeBron James. This sent Green over the limit for technical fouls in a single playoff run with seven, which meant the NBA suspended Green for Game 5. Without Green’s defensive presence, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the game and completed a historic comeback to win the championship.
Green is one of the most experienced veterans in the league, with 159 playoff appearances under his belt. He holds the second-most playoff appearances by a Michigan State alum, only behind Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who played in 186 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the potential loss of Golden State forward Jimmy Butler, who exited Game 2 after taking a hard fall. Green needs to stay out of trouble for the remainder of the series for the Warriors to pull off the upset over the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Make sure to follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE and please share your thoughts when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
