Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green is tagged as one of the most violent players in the league. Although, in most of the altercations, the Warriors’ forward hasn’t faced any retaliation, things were different when he was up against Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly known as Ron Artest and Metta World Peace, 7 years ago.
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From picking a fight with LeBron James, kicking Steven Adams in the groin area, choking Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert to punching Phoenix Suns’ Jusuf Nurkic and even former teammate Jordan Poole, Green is no stranger to getting into a violent altercation. However, the 4x NBA champion had a different experience when he faced Artest.
During a regular season game between the Lakers and Warriors in January 2016, Green and Artest got handsy with each other on the court. It kicked off when the Lakers veteran got a bit too close for comfort to Green, prompting the Warriors star to swing his elbow and yell,
“Get off me.“
Artest took exception to that and almost put the Warriors star in a chokehold, before stopping himself short and telling him,
“Don’t do that.“
The usually confrontational Green quickly backed off and walked to the free-throw line. Given Artest’s history, the Warriors star might have made the right decision. The former Indiana Pacers and Lakers star’s violent shenanigans have defined his career. He was infamously responsible for kicking off the Malice at the Palace.
On one instance in 2004, in the final minute of the fourth quarter of a regular season game between the Pacers and Detroit Pistons, Artest got into an altercation with Pistons star Ben Wallace. While the officials sorted out the situation, Artest, lying on the announcer’s table, was hit with a bottle from the stands. The irate Pacers star climbed into the stands and attacked a fan, causing him to suffer five fractured vertebrae and a head injury. Multiple players were suspended for their role in the incident. However, Artest got the harshest punishment, missing 86 games and losing a year’s salary.
Following the incident, Artest repaired his reputation and played a crucial role in helping the Lakers win the 2009-10 NBA title. However, his violent side reared its ugly head once more in 2012. During a regular-season game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Artest, now known as Metta World Peace, elbowed James Harden in the head and gave him a concussion. He later said it happened in the heat of the moment, and he did not intend to do it.
Green knew better than to mess with Artest. After all, there was no way to know what he would do in the heat of the moment.
Draymond Green targets weak players, claim NBA veteran
Draymond Green’s restraint in picking a fight with Artest suggests he’ll back down from an altercation if he knew the other player would retaliate. On The OGs podcast, retired Miami Heat icon Udonis Haslem claimed the Warriors star targets players that he knows would not fight back. He suggested Green knew choking out Gobert wouldn’t lead to a fight with a Timberwolves star, which gave him the license to attack the center.
Haslem makes an interesting point. None of the fights that involved Green boiled over into a fistfight. Players are wary that retaliating would lead to an ejection and potentially a suspension. That prompts them to let Green’s actions slide. While that seems like the logical way to approach the situation, the Warriors star’s seemingly insatiable need to pick fights needs to be curbed.
The Warriors have done little to stop him from embarrassing the team. The NBA has stepped in when he has crossed the line. He’s currently serving an indefinite suspension, but it’s hard to fathom Green not getting back to his shenanigans once he returns.
