Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has a reputation around the league as a fierce competitor, great defender, and of course one who loves to mix it up with opposing players and referees. That uninhibited passion has cost him a lot of ejections, and money.
The monetary side is something his fiancée Hazel Renee addressed when she chatted with others at this year’s ESPY Awards. The lady of the house called the technical fouls “money down the drain.”
“There’s the wedding budget right there. If anyone wants to know where the wedding budget went, it’s right there in techs” Renee joked.
It’s definitely Renee poking some fun at her over-the-top husband whose defensive prowess and shrewd playmaking has earned him four rings and a salary of $25 million per season. So, it’s highly unlikely technical foul fines is going to change the wedding budget, but she did show her wit and ability to make light of Draymond’s on-court transgressions.
Draymond Green is the first player in NBA history to foul out with 6 personal fouls and 6 technical fouls. pic.twitter.com/xdDUakRA5k
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 21, 2022
Green Has Long Been A High Technical Foul Accumulator
Ever since he was thrust into the starting role in 2014-15 Draymond Green has been a walking technical foul. Green has only reached the technical foul threshold of 16 once (2018-19). Therefore, he’s only been suspended a total of one regular season game due to his fouls, but he’s constantly pushing the threshold as he averages 15 techs per season over the last five seasons.
Technical Foul Rear Ugly Head At Worst Time
The playoffs are a different animal, however and none of his technicals were more costly than his 2016 NBA Finals Game 4 tech that got him suspended for a game. His absence flipped the series upside down and the 73-win Warriors blew a 3-1 lead to LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavs. Golden State became first team in NBA Finals history to blow a 3-1 lead. Green is still very demonstrative and intense in his interaction with referees, but he definitely toned it down a bit for this season’s title run, where the magic number seven gets you a one-game suspension.
Draymond Green's technical foul count—4 in 18 games this postseason, which seems like a lot!—only puts in perspective the majesty of Rasheed Wallace's pace when he got 41 in a single season. Most unbreakable record in the NBA.
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) June 6, 2022
Steve Kerr Spilled Beans About Their Engagement
The Warriors are a pretty close-knit group. Even head coach Steve Kerr is in on a lot of the off-the-court team building camaraderie. Kerr even slipped up and told everyone that Green and Renee were getting engaged during an interview.
Draymond Green and Hazel Renee are engaged, Warriors coach says https://t.co/KAct5fsU4C pic.twitter.com/MSKNHGaHHq
— SFGATE (@SFGate) January 21, 2019
“The time’s been great. A nice change of pace during the middle of the season, especially in mid-January. Beautiful weather here, and a lot of guys brought family members. Draymond got engaged. A lot of great stuff.”
From family ties to title runs, Golden State appears to be the perfect organization.
