Draymond Green's antics have finally caught up to him. The Golden State Warriors forward is known for pushing the limits of what you are supposed to do on a basketball court. While he is a great defender, and his enforcer-like energy has helped the Warriors to win four championships, Green has oftentimes taken things too far. He is both one of the most ejected players and one of the dirtiest players in NBA history.
Most recently, Green was suspended indefinitely after performing a spinning punch to the face of Jusuf Nurkic on Dec. 12. The NBA has had enough of Green's boneheaded decisions and reckless incidents, and they came down with one of the harshest penalties in league history. Green has had countless egregious moments throughout his career, and the league has had enough.
There have been plenty of long suspensions in NBA history, but there isn't much to go off of in terms of indefinite suspensions. There have been permanent bans, but there has only been one prior suspension that was originally ruled indefinite. That was enforced by David Stern over firearm-related incidents with Gilbert Arenas. However, that suspension was eventually given an exact amount, with 50 days being what Arenas ended up serving during his suspension.
Eventually, Green's suspension will be given a specific number of games as well, but because it currently sits with an “indefinite” label, we decided to look at how his suspension compares to others throughout the history of the NBA. Here are the longest suspensions in NBA history.
*Note – Permanent bans are not included on this list. Only players given a “suspension” designation were included. Therefore, players like O.J. Mayo, Tyreke Evans, Chris Anderson, and many more were not included on this list.
T-9. Stephen Jackson, Indiana Pacers (30 games)
While his acts were viewed as less detrimental than Ron Artest's, Stephen Jackson was still front-and-center during the Malice at the Palace back in 2004. Like Artest, Jackson punched a fan. He was hit with the second-longest of nine player suspensions. The entirety of the Malice at the Palace can be viewed here.
T-9. Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets (30 games)
On April 14, 2023, Miles Bridges was suspended after pleading no contest to a domestic violence charge. Bridges allegedly struck the mother of his children multiple times, and the pictures that were released were very disturbing. Bridges was a free agent, so he didn't sign a contract for the entirety of the 2022-23 season. The NBA counted that missed season as 20 games of his 30-game suspension, while the final 10 games were served as a member of the Hornets at the start of the 2023-24 season.
8. Javaris Crittenton, Washington Wizards (38 games)
Javaris Crittenton and Gilbert Arenas, teammates on the Washington Wizards, both stored guns in their lockers. They then pulled said guns on each other over a gambling dispute. Crittenton was only suspended 38 games, but he never played again in the NBA. In 2015, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison for manslaughter and assault charges in an unrelated incident but was released in 2023.
7. Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards (50 games)
Gilbert Arenas is a prime example of someone who never reached his fullest potential because of the poor choices he made. This was exemplified by a number of incidents, including his pre-draft meeting and workouts that caused him to fall in the draft. No incident better illustrates this point than when he infamously brought firearms into the Washington Wizards locker room in 2010.
Not only was his storing of an unloaded weapon already illegal and against league rules, but Arenas made matters way worse when he pulled the gun on his teammate, Javaris Crittenton. An argument over gambling debts is what sparked Arenas to do so, and on top of that, he was already suspended indefinitely because he was being investigated for carrying unlicensed firearms.
The fact that he pulled the gun on his teammate while already suspended indefinitely makes it hard to believe he was only given a 5o game suspension in the end.
6. Ime Udoka, Boston Celtics (59 games)
The last two seasons haven't been pretty to the NBA when it comes to suspensions. Miles Bridges, Draymond Green, Ja Morant, and Ime Udoka — the then-coach of the Boston Celtics — all received lengthy suspensions within the last year and a half. Udoka's suspension was handed out by his team for the entire season because he had an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, which was against team policy. Fifty-nine games into the season, the Celtics decided to fire Udoka. He is now the head coach for the Houston Rockets.
5. Mark Stevens, Golden State Warriors (65 games)
Mark Stevens, a minority owner of the Golden State Warriors, pushed Kyle Lowry after the Toronto Raptors' guard tried to save a loose ball during Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals. He was banned from the rest of the Finals, as well as for the entirety of the next season. Stevens' suspension ended up being shorter than expected because the 2019-20 was shortened due to COVID-19.
Mark Stevens, who pushed Kyle Lowry in game 3 of the NBA Finals is part owner of the Warriors. Per @axios pic.twitter.com/KFhpqnZF2f
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) June 6, 2019
4. Latrell Sprewell, Golden State Warriors (68 games)
Latrell Sprewell was a problem child during his NBA career, as he had a number of off and on-the-court incidents. He was a talented player, but he is most known for choking and threatening to kill his coach, P.J. Carlesimo. This came after Carlesimo criticized Sprewell's passing, which is a normal thing for a coach to do. Sprewell's anger prevailed, though, and he performed one of the scariest acts in NBA history.
3. Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers (86 games)
Ron Artest's suspension is perhaps the most well-known in NBA history, and if it happened today, it would likely be even longer than it was back then.
Artest performed one of the biggest no-nos in NBA history in 2004 when he rushed into the stands after a drink was thrown at him by a fan. All hell broke loose in what became known as the “Malice at the Palace,” the darkest day in the history of the NBA. Artest was front and center during the malice, and he eventually punched a fan who confronted him after his altercation in the stands.
Nine players were suspended after the incident, but Artest's suspension was by far the longest. Unfortunately for Artest, he originally let cooler heads prevail. Ben Wallace pushed Artest after a foul, and that started the whole incident, but Artest was complacent to sit the scuffle out as he laid on the scorer's table. That didn't last, though, as when that drink was eventually thrown at him, a switch flipped, and Artest rushed into the stands.
2. Robert Sarver, Phoenix Suns (93 games)
The longest suspension in NBA history prior to Draymond Green's indefinite suspension does not belong to a player but instead to an owner. Robert Sarver owned the Phoenix Suns from 2005-2021, and he was suspended for the entire 2022-23 season for hosting and being a part of an inappropriate and unhealthy workspace environment. Sarver was reported to have made countless inappropriate remarks, including using the n-word on multiple occasions. Additionally, Sarver and members of his staff were said to display misogynistic behavior and acts of bullying. His suspension came with a $10 million fine. Sarver ended up selling the team in December of 2022, but his suspension was still considered active by the NBA.
1. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (indefinite)
Draymond Green was fresh off of a five-game suspension for choking out Rudy Gobert when he got hit with this indefinite suspension. Eventually, the league will put a number on this suspension, and he is unlikely to remain the longest-suspended NBA figure ever.
For now, though, Green is the longest-suspended NBA person ever because his suspension doesn't have an end date yet. Green is a repeat offender, and it was the straw that broke the camel's back when he hit Jusuf Nurkic.
Draymond Green will throw a punch, try to choke someone out, and kick another player in the groin, & then immediately go on a podcast & claim he’s “the ultimate teammate.”
NBA needs to up its suspension to a minimum of 10 games. He’s out of control. pic.twitter.com/12ObqtJQBM
— Jake Lee (@JakeLeei) December 13, 2023
After his incident with Nurkic, Green claimed he was flailing his arms to try and get a call. Most fans aren't buying that, though, and it appears Green had full intent behind his actions. Based on his suspension, the NBA seems to feel the same way.
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