There is no love lost between Draymond Green and Jusuf Nurkic, so you knew the former was going to have something to say about the latter’s scuffle with Naji Marshall. On the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, Green roasted Nurkic for striking Marshall in the face.
“I did not quite understand, he just out of nowhere picked an argument and then swung,” Green said. “And I hope that brother got the help he needs. Man, it was just out of nowhere like something’s wrong in life to just go back and swing like that. But then to get pushed on the ground, grabbing his face, I was really shocked.”
In case it wasn’t obvious, Green was being very sarcastic there. These two have been throwing jabs at each other for over a year now and the beef, of course, began over a hit to the face.
Green was ejected for hitting Nurkic in a game between the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns on Dec. 12, 2023. There was no provocation involved there and it was just a bad look for the four-time NBA champion, who was suspended indefinitely for the act.
Green apologized for striking Nurkic but any sympathy he had for the Bosnian would disappear quickly. Nurkic said, “I feel like that brother needed help” when asked about Draymond hitting him postgame and that was, of course, what the Warriors forward was referring to on his podcast here.
Those comments by Nurkic did not sit well with Green and we have seen them fire shots at each other ever since. Green once called Nurkic the biggest hater in the NBA and also labeled him a big softie. He was certainly suggesting that the big man is soft when talking about him grabbing his face on the podcast.
The incident between Nurkic and Marshall took place during a game between the Suns and the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 27, 2024, after the former committed an offensive foul. Marshall confronted Nurkic over it and the two swung at each other. PJ Washington then shoved the big man and all three ended up being ejected.
Green sarcastically stated he didn’t understand why Nurkic would do such a thing but we might know why. Leaked audio captured Marshall and Washington talking trash to Nurkic before the brawl. While their actions do not justify a hit to the face, they explain the reason for it.
The NBA suspended Marshall for four games, Nurkic for three, and Washington for one following this incident. The reason they came down harder on Marshall was that he attempted to engage Nurkic in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms.
Green, who is averaging 8.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game this season, wasn’t a fan of the NBA’s decision. The four-time All-Star made it clear later on the podcast that Marshall should not have been suspended for one more game than Nurkic for his actions.
It will interesting to see if Nurkic responds to Green’s comments. He has done so on numerous occasions in the past but has stayed silent so far.
Nurkic might have other things to worry about at this point. Not only has he been benched by Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer, but he hasn’t even played a minute in the last two games. Nurkic appears to be out of the rotation now which means it seems unlikely we’ll see him and Green face off when the Suns take on the Warriors on Jan. 31.
