Draymond Green stomping on Domantas Sabonis was a tale of two perspectives, with some considering the act disgusting and heinous, while others believed he was just trying to run down the court. The Golden State Warriors broadcast seemed a little more forgiving of Green’s stomp than most.
In the fourth quarter of Game 2 between the Warriors and Sacramento Kings, Green was knotted up with Sabonis under the basket. After having his foot grabbed by Sabonis, Green proceeded to stomp on the midsection of the Kings star. The incident sparked widespread debate, with some blaming Sabonis for initiating the fracas, while others fault Green for escalating it. Here’s how the Golden State Warriors broadcast on NBC Sports Bay Area assessed the incident.
“Sabonis was holding onto Draymond’s foot, which was wrong,” play-by-play voice Bob Fitzgerald said. “Draymond stepping on Sabonis like that, is not right, either.”
Fitzgerald concluded that both players were deserving of a technical foul, but at least he placed partial blame on Green for the incident. However, former Warriors forward and current game analyst Kelenna Azubuike didn’t see much wrong with what Green did after watching him stomp on Sabonis.
“Draymond will say he’s just trying to run back,” Azubuike chimed in. “But from here it didn’t look very good.”
But less than one minute later, Azubuike had an about-face, sounding confused as to how anyone could blame Green for the incident. “Well, Draymond was trying to run back,” Azubuike said. “I don’t think he had a choice but to step on him.”
Sabonis deserves blame for initiating the entanglement, and his role in the incident may ultimately save Green from being suspended. But watching Green stomp on Sabonis’s chest and having the takeaway that he “was trying to run back” seems like some serious homerism.
On TNT’s national broadcast of the game, analyst Jim Jackson similarly cited Sabonis provoking the incident by grabbing Green’s foot, but admitted the stomp was intentional.
Draymond Green has been ejected after being issued a flagrant 2 foul for stomping on Domantas Sabonis. pic.twitter.com/JNg471Irnu
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) April 18, 2023
“If you’re trying to get out of an opponent’s way, you can step over him or slightly step on him,” Jackson said. “That one was a little bit more emphasis.”
Green was issued a flagrant 2 foul after officials reviewed the play, resulting in an ejection for the Warriors forward as Sacramento went on to win the game. The NBA is now mulling whether to suspend Green, but the ejection seems like punishment enough considering he escalated an incident that was initiated by Sabonis. After chest X-rays on his ribs and lungs came back negative, Sabonis appeared to avoid any serious injury.
