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Draymond Green Claps Back at Fan About Sabonis Incident
Golden State's veteran All-Star reminds fans of when Sabonis dangerously grabbed his ankle last year.
Last season, the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors met in the first round of the playoffs, and tempers were flaring. As the series went to seven games, the Warriors led by Stephen Curry took down the Kings led by De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, creating a mild rivalry between the NorCal franchises.
In the playoffs, everybody plays harder, which includes harder fouls and sometimes semi-dirty plays. In Thursday's Philadelphia 76ers-New York Knicks matchup, many fans saw a play that reminded them of last season's Kings-Warriors series.
In the first quarter, 76ers' superstar Joel Embiid fell on the ground while playing defense, but as Knicks' big man Mitchell Robinson went up for a shot, Embiid grabbed his leg and pulled him down. This dangerous play should have warranted an ejection for Philly's star center, but instead, they issued him a flagrant one, and Embiid went on to drop 50 points in a statement win.
Many fans took to social media to voice their frustrations with the dangerous play, claiming Embiid should have been ejected. Warriors' Draymond Green clapped back at a fan who claimed Green had "nothing to say about" Embiid's dirty play on Robinson (via @Money23Green | X).
Green brings up the play that many were reminded of when they saw Embiid grab Robinson's leg, referencing last season's playoff series against the Kings where Green got suspended one game for stepping on Sabonis' chest. In the play he is talking about, Sabonis is on the ground and grabs Green's ankle, prompting Green to respond with a harsh step on the chest of Sacramento's star big man.
Green referencing the play by saying "when Sabonis grabbed my ankle mid-run" is comedic, considering Green was nowhere near attempting to run, nonetheless avoiding stepping on Sabonis.
Many claim the infamous play from last year's playoff was a dirty play by Sabonis, which is certainly a valid take. The tensions rose when Green received a suspension but Sabonis did not get punished. Green seems to remain upset about the play over a year later, even though if anything, it was an unnecessary and dangerous play from both.
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