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“Kicked LeBron [James] in the Head”: 4X NBA Champion Throws Starlet Under the Bus to Prove Referee Bias

Published 09/19/2022, 8:00 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Draymond Green has long been the Golden State Warriors’ heartbeat. His swiss army knife style of play, coupled with unflinching tenacity, has proven paramount for the Dubs. However, his fierce intensity can occasionally manifest itself into dirty play, resulting in the player failing to go by the rules. As a consequence, his reputation among NBA officials has somewhat gone down.

And he has refused to turn the intensity switch off. It has arguably helped him and the Warriors substantially more than it has hurt them in the past. During the 2022 NBA Finals, Green acknowledged that he has earned differential treatment from the referees and seems to embrace that. The forward, however, recently expressed his dissatisfaction with the way NBA officials treat him.

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Green made an appearance on the “Checc’n In” podcast. He expressed his displeasure with the NBA officials’ treatment of him, calling it the “Draymond Green rules.”

He then went on to cite a play involving LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers rookie, Evan Mobley.

“Evan Mobley did the same exact thing and kicked LeBron (James) in the head, ain’t nobody talking about wanting to kick him out, ain’t nobody talking like it was (on) purpose,” Green added.

He recounted a play that occurred last season in March. The Cleveland Cavaliers were hosting the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite what seemed to be a hard shot from Mobley on James, the Lakers star avoided serious injury and led his team to the victory.

Green argues that when Mobley’s kick occurred, little attention was paid to it. He received no suspension or fine, whereas Green has welcomed both on similar kinds of plays.

Draymond Green throws Evan Mobley under the bus to prove NBA referees’ bias

Evan Mobley landed a hard kick to LeBron James’ temple, knocking him to the ground in pain. However, nothing appeared to be deliberate. Regardless, he received no suspension or fine. However, when Draymond Green did something like that, he argued that the world turned against him.

6 Years After Punching Lebron James’ Groin, Draymond Green Makes Violent Admission

The events that took place in the 2016 NBA Finals are well chronicled. The Golden State Warriors bottled a 3-1 lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Another incident that made the series eventful was Green going at it with LeBron James.

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The controversial incident transpired in Game 4, and the Warriors player was called for a flagrant foul. Green ended up receiving a suspension, which caused him to miss Game 5 of the series. And it’s safe to assume that this set the wheels in motion for the Cavaliers’ amazing comeback.

Green was involved in yet another incident in which his foot landed on another person’s groin. Interestingly, it was from the 2016 playoffs as well.

The 2016 Western Conference Finals saw the Warriors lock horns with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In Game 3 of the heated series, Green kicked Steven Adams in the groin while attempting a shot inside the paint. He was called for a flagrant foul and was fined $25,000 for it.

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As mentioned above, Draymond Green argues that he has witnessed suspensions and fines while Evan Mobley walked free for committing a similar type of foul.

WATCH THIS STORY: Bill Russell Career: When Did The Celtics Legend Retire?

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It will be interesting to see how the officials treat him next season when he and the Warriors attempt to defend their NBA crown.

Do you agree with Draymond Green? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Ritvik Malhotra

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Ritvik is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed his Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication from Amity University, Ritvik has finally got his foot in the door as a professional sports writer. He previously interned at another media house where he authored over 150 soccer articles, but he is now writing about his primary obsession, basketball.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani