USA Basketball announced Tuesday its 41 player pool for the upcoming Paris Olympics, and two-time gold medalist Draymond Green was conspicuously absent.
Team director Grant Hill cited Green’s multiple suspensions as the reason he was left off, according to The Associated Press (AP).
“We all understand and certainly have great respect and sensitivity to this particular period in his career and he’s working through some things both on and off the court,” Hill said, The AP reported. “We at USA Basketball, we want to support him on his journey. We just didn’t feel that playing over the summer gives him the best opportunity to do what he needs to do.”
SAITAMA, JAPAN – AUGUST 07: Zachary Lavine, Draymond Green, and Jerami Grant of Team United States during the Men’s Basketball medal ceremony on day fifteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on August 07, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The embattled Golden State Warriors forward Green recently returned from his second suspension of the NBA season, the sixth of his career.
Team USA excluded Draymond Green from their 41-player pool, with managing director Grant Hill believing it was best not to include him in the Olympic pool this time around, per @ByTimReynolds pic.twitter.com/IlURxQ8Ho2
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 24, 2024
The NBA doled out his most recent punishment after he struck opponent Jusuf Nurkic in the face. Before that, he was suspended five games for apparently choking out Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in an incident Green says he doesn’t regret. (RELATED: Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green Blasted With Boos In Comeback Game)
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I personally applaud Hill and Team USA for this decision. As I’ve said before, Green is a danger to his fellow NBA players, and that applies to opponents on the international stage as well. How embarrassing would it be to make the news, not for being the best basketball team, but for being the most violent and reckless?
The decision probably didn’t come lightly for Hill and the rest of Team USA brass, either. Green is one of four active players with multiple Olympic gold medals. The other three — LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul — made USA’s 41 man player pool.
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It’s even more significant considering Team USA’s coach is Green’s NBA coach, Warriors head man Steve Kerr.
Hill noted his actions this year, saying “in lieu of what’s transpired this year, we made a decision to not have him on this list,” per The AP.
Actions have consequences, and while the 12 games he served as his suspension for attacking Nurkic were far too few in my opinion, it’s nice to see at least one organization holding him to account.