Draymond Green Was Fined $35,000 By The League For Tweeting Out Initials

The Golden State Warriors’ second-half meltdown against the Minnesota Timberwolves last Friday was marred by controversy after a series of unfavorable calls--and non-calls--sullied the OT thriller.

In a season where the players’ relationship with the officials has really taken a hit, the Warriors’ gripes seemed fair. Josh Okogie swiped at an airborne Stephen Curry’s ankle, a dangerous play that the subsequent Last Two Minute report dismissed as “hot stove contact.” Shortly after, Kevin Durant’s potential go-ahead four-point play opportunity was waved off though it looked as if he had already begun the shooting motion when the contact was initiated.

The Warriors inbounded the ball once again and Curry knocked down a difficult game-tying three-pointer and he, along with Andre Iguodala, seemed to taunt the officials for their perseverance in spite of the questionable decision on the Durant play. But with 0.5 seconds left, Durant was called for a foul on Karl-Anthony Towns who was looking to corral a lob that not even Minnesota legend Randy Moss could have secured.

Several Warriors expressed their frustration in various ways. Curry and Durant both criticized 10-year veteran referee Mark Kogut in their postgame comments, with the former even calling Kogut the MVP of the game. The superstars took their grievances to social media, making it abundantly clear what they thought of the whistles.

Draymond Green was much more subtle than his teammates, only sending out two tweets that read “TD” and “MK,” respectively. Internet sleuths quickly deduced that these were initials referencing disgraced former referee Tim Donaghy and Kogut.

As expected, the league came down with fines on Tuesday. Durant was fined $15,000 for “public criticism of the officiating” and Curry was awarded a $25,000 fine for “his actions and public statements impugning the integrity of NBA officiating.” Surprisingly, Green was given the heftiest fine; the four letters on his timeline cost him $35,000 for using social media.

Curry and Durant were going to be fined. Whether they had a case or not, the league has a strict policy on publicly calling out the referees. The fact that Green was assessed with the biggest fine of the trio is perhaps telling of a larger problem.

Green and the league have a frayed relationship. Though his fiery personality often pushes the boundaries of what is accepted in player-referee interactions, he’s developed a reputation that lands him premature and excessive treatment--highlighted by the controversial decision to suspend him for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals.

Green’s larger fine certainly raises some eyebrows considering both of the Warriors’ MVPs were on Instagram posting comments about the madness that took over their game. It’s also puzzling because his actions require a lot more interpretation than Curry and Durant’s comments, who were explicit in vocalizing their emotions.

Though it seems that Green was comparing Kogut to the scandalous Donaghy, that conclusion would still be speculation unless he confirmed it, which, to our knowledge, he hasn’t. Fining someone $35,000 over speculation seems harsh especially when far more obvious comments earned a lesser punishment.

In essence, the NBA has a bias against Green. Though he certainly has not helped his cause at times throughout his career, this is an issue. These types of decisions cannot be influenced by prejudiced guesswork, especially when large amounts of money are on the line.

The league has to do better; both in terms of holding their officials accountable and keeping themselves consistent and fair.