The NBA reinstated Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, and he is eligible to return to game action, the league announced Saturday.
The NBA suspended Green indefinitely on Dec. 13 for ‘striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face” during a game the day before.
Green had to meet league and team conditions before he returned.
‘During the period of his suspension, which began on Dec. 14 and resulted in him missing 12 games, Green completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players,’ the NBA said in a news release. ‘He has engaged in meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors, and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season.’
The Warriors went 7-5 in his absence, and they are 17-18 overall and in 10th place in the Western Conference.
Green’s suspension without pay cost him $1.84 million.
The Warriors play Toronto Sunday and New Orleans Wednesday, but it has not been decided when Green will return.
The Dec. 13 suspension came just six games after he served a five-game suspension without pay in November for “escalating an on-court altercation and forcibly grabbing Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert around the neck in an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner.’
The indefinite suspension issued in December was Green’s fourth suspension since March, including a one-game suspension in the first round of the playoffs against Sacramento in April.
This season, Green, who signed a four-year, $100 million contract with Golden State in the offseason, is averaging 9.7 points, 5.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds and shooting 49% from the field and 42.9% on 3-pointers.
Green is a four-time NBA champion, four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, eight-time All-Defense performer and 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year.
