Warriors forward Draymond Green, defending himself after his scuffle with the Wizards’ Bradley Beal, brought up a Clippers-Trail Blazers game.
After Clippers forward Blake Griffin hit the game-winning 3-pointer Thursday, Trail Blazers president and former Clippers general manager Neil Olshey can be seen sitting in the first row to the right of the basket and making a gesture.
Green, via Chris Haynes of ESPN:“They got presidents of teams giving middle fingers on national TV and nothing’s said,” he said. “You don’t want to shine the light on somebody else. They got someone else to be the bad guy, so, I’ll just keep being me. I guess I’m not supposed to be me. I tried that. That s--- don’t’ work, either. So, it is what it is. I wish I had a better answer, but I really don’t have a better answer. Failing to disengage? I don’t know what that means. Getting punched, grabbed and slammed is maybe what that means.”
The executive Green was referring to, sources tell ESPN, was Portland Trail Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey. After LA Clippers power forward Blake Griffin nailed a game-winning triple in Portland on Thursday, Olshey was seen on camera along the baseline making a nondescript hand gesture.
Sources said the league looked into the matter and learned that Olshey’s hand gesture was directed at a close friend, who is a fan of the Clippers, which is why no punishment was issued.
A little weird Green brought up an opposing executive’s actions during a game not involving Golden State? Yup. But we’ve long realized Green isn’t wed to traditional boundaries, especially when it furthers his agenda.
Also, avoiding a fine because the gesture was directed at a close friend? Bet Josh Jackson wish he thought of that excuse.
