Knicks' Donte DiVincenzo reacts to bizarre Draymond Green-Rudy Gobert spat
If there's one player on the New York Knicks that knows Draymond Green well, it's Donte DiVincenzo. Before signing with New York in free agency, the guard spent the 2022-23 season in Golden State. As much as the Warriors would've liked to keep DiVincenzo, he played himself out of their price range.
Green is one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. If you're a fan of the Warriors, you love him. If you're not, you hate him. His teammates appreciate him, while other players around the league don't feel the same way.
Even Golden State fans should be upset at how Green reacted on Tuesday night, though. Early in the first quarter of a game against the Timberwolves, Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got into a scuffle that began with a boxout and jersey tug. The two broke out into a fight at midcourt, which prompted Rudy Gobert to step in and try to break it up. Gobert was trying to hold Thompson back when Green hopped in, putting Gobert in a chokehold.
Draymond Green had Rudy Gobert in a sleeper hold pic.twitter.com/yivvAds10c
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) November 15, 2023
Gobert and Green have long been enemies, so maybe Green viewed the altercation as his chance to go after the French center. Green didn't have the opportunity to go after Gobert on the court again, as he, Thompson, and McDaniels were ejected.
Knicks' Donte DiVincenzo responds to latest Draymond Green spat
After New York's shootaround on Wednesday in Atlanta, Donte DiVincenzo commented on the Draymond Green drama.
Donte DiVincenzo on former teammate Draymond Green:
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) November 15, 2023
“No matter what he’ll take the repercussions to protect everybody on the court, his coaches and teammates. …That’s what he prides himself on. Whenever you don’t see him you know he’s behind you, no pun intended.”
Everything that DiVincenzo said is true. Green wasted no time to defend Klay Thompson from Rudy Gobert, although Gobert truly seemed to be de-escalating the situation. The NBA officials deemed Gobert as a "peacemaker." He didn't react to Green's chokehold but instead kept his hands up to show he wasn't trying to fight back.
Unsurprisingly, Steve Kerr came to Green's defense, saying that Gobert had his hands on Thompson's neck.
Steve Kerr: "If you watch the replay, Rudy had his hands on Klay's neck and that's why Draymond went after Rudy." 👀 pic.twitter.com/mMmusndwwU
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) November 15, 2023
Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the league is looking into the fight. A Green suspension is a given, especially because of his past.
It's better to be on Green's side than on the opposing sideline because as DiVincenzo said, he'll always have his teammates' backs. However, like the Domantas Sabonis chest stomp in the 2023 playoffs, Green took it too far on Tuesday, and his punishment should be severe.
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