What Does ‘Suspended Indefinitely’ Mean In The NBA?

The NBA is no stranger to suspending players when they indulge in misconduct. Suspensions for players across the league vary depending on the level of misconduct that they partake in. Draymond Green was recently suspended for 5 games for choking Rudy Gobert while Ron Artest was suspended 86 games for being the ‘protagonist’ during the ‘Malice at the Palace’. There is however, another type of suspension. An indefinite suspension.

What does ‘suspended indefinitely’ mean in the NBA? In layman’s terms, an indefinite suspension refers to when an NBA player has been suspended for an unknown amount of games and that number of games is predicated on him completing a few ‘tasks’ before he can be allowed to step foot on NBA hardwood once again.

The suspension will also be carried forward without pay. League authorities will decide when they feel as though the player is ready to return to play.

Indefinite suspensions are rare but when they do take place, they take place for good reason. Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors is the most recent star in the league to have received this punishment.

Draymond Green suspended indefinitely

Draymond Green, after having returned from a 5 game suspension a couple weeks ago, is once again suspended but this time, indefinitely. Him punching Jusuf Nurkic during the Golden State Warriors’ loss to the Phoenix Suns led to an automatic ejection. This would then lead to the league announcing his indefinite suspension.

This was Green’s 18^th career ejection, surpassing DeMarcus Cousins’ 17 career ejections placing him at second all time in total career ejections. “He will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play,” according to the league.

The NBA has also stated that Green’s unsportsmanlike conduct throughout his career was a factor in suspending him this time around. Jusuf Nurkic, the man who was punched by Green as they battled for position, was asked about the action.

“What’s going on with him, I don’t know. Personally, I feel like that brother needs help/ I’m glad he didn’t try to choke me. That had nothing to do with basketball. I’m just out there trying to play basketball.”