Draymond Green has been a key cog of the Golden State Warriors’ core for over a decade thanks to the defensive tenacity he’s carried with him throughout his career. Just like his defense, though, Draymond’s hot-headedness has always been a staple of his game. The four-time All-Star has created an unnatural habit of inciting officials and picking up technicals over the years.
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Green didn’t truly start making an impact until his third season, the Dubs’ title run in 2015. But the former Defensive Player of the Year’s habit of stirring up trouble on the court started immediately. Green missed the first nine shots of his career, but once he scored his first points – a three against the Atlanta Hawks – he was reprimanded within seconds.
Draymond scored his first field goal on November 12th, 2012 – two weeks into his career. An admittedly light fee compared to what the league hands out now, the rookie forward was forced to pay a $2000 fine. Somehow, though, this wasn’t the first fine of his career. Green picked up his first technical five days earlier against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ppl forget Draymond got a tech on his first basket in the NBA. What did you tell him here @Rjeff24? pic.twitter.com/iuQ676POau
— PFT Commenter (@PFTCommenter) May 1, 2025
Green didn’t score his first point until that matchup with the Lakers, the sixth game of his career. It wasn’t until his eighth contest that he finally scored his first field goal. Considering the type of player Draymond has proven to be, this is hardly a surprise. He’s never been at his best as a scorer, especially early in his career.
Draymond Green has racked up hundreds of fines over the years
Now in his 13th season, that very first technical foul set the stage for what Draymond’s career would become. Green is – by far- the active leader in technical fouls in the NBA, with 226. He’s quickly risen up the all-time ranking in recent years and now sits 5th in league history behind just Gary Payton, Rasheed Wallace, Charles Barkley, and Karl Malone.
As a result, Draymond has racked up nearly $1 million in fines thanks to his on-court antics. He’s paid $935,000 back to the league in fines, according to Spotrac. Considering the money he’s been paid over the years to be Golden State’s defensive centerpiece, though, those fines have hardly made a scratch in Green’s fortune.
Draymond has made a name for himself as one of the most ill-tempered athletes in professional sports over the last 13 years. However, it’s clear he does much more than that when he’s on the court. The 35-year-old is one of the best passers and most versatile defenders in the association. If that weren’t the case, Golden State wouldn’t have kept him around nearly as long as they have.
