If you were watching the NBA In-Season Tournament back in November 2023, you saw something that looked less like basketball and more like a scene from a local MMA gym. Within 103 seconds of tip-off, the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves were already at each other's throats. Literally. The moment Draymond Green chokes Rudy Gobert wasn't just a flashpoint for that game; it became a defining image of Green’s career and the NBA's struggle with on-court violence.
The scoreboard still read 0-0. Most fans hadn't even finished finding their seats at Chase Center. Then, Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels got tangled up near half-court. It started with jersey pulling, then shoving, and suddenly it was a full-blown scuffle. Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves' 7-foot-1 center, stepped in to grab Thompson—he says to play peacemaker, but the Warriors bench saw it differently.
Draymond Green didn't hesitate. He didn't just push. He ran in and locked his arm around Gobert’s neck in a rear-naked choke, dragging him across the hardwood for nearly ten seconds.
The Breakdown: Why the NBA Stepped in So Hard
The league isn't exactly new to Draymond’s "extracurricular" activities. We’ve seen the kicks, the stomps, and the famous practice punch on Jordan Poole. But this was different. Joe Dumars, the NBA's Executive Vice President and a man who has actually mentored Green for years, didn't hold back.
He handed down a five-game suspension without pay.
That might not sound like a lot to a casual fan, but for Draymond, it was a massive financial hit. We’re talking about $769,704 in forfeited salary. That is roughly $153,000 per game he sat on his couch. The league explicitly stated that the length of the suspension wasn't just for the choke itself, but because of Green’s "history of unsportsmanlike acts." Basically, the NBA's patience had finally run out.
📖 Related: Louisiana vs Wake Forest: What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
Who got fined and who got off?
While Draymond took the brunt of the punishment, he wasn't the only one with a lighter wallet that week.
- Klay Thompson: Fined $25,000 and ejected.
- Jaden McDaniels: Fined $25,000 and ejected.
- Rudy Gobert: Fined $25,000 (which he tried to appeal, calling the fine "shameful" since he felt he was the victim).
Honestly, the optics were terrible for everyone involved. Gobert called it "clown behavior." Steve Kerr, usually a defender of his guys, admitted that Draymond "went too far." It was a mess.
Was It Defense or Just Another Meltdown?
The Warriors' camp immediately went into defense mode. Steve Kerr argued that Gobert had his hands on Klay’s neck first. If you watch the replay closely, Gobert does wrap his arms around Thompson to pull him away from McDaniels. In the heat of the moment, Green saw his teammate being "assaulted" and reacted the only way he knows how.
But there is a thin line between "protecting your teammate" and "dragging a colleague by the throat for ten seconds."
The "peacemaker" defense from Gobert’s side holds some weight because his hands were up, and he wasn't throwing punches. However, in the high-testosterone environment of an NBA game, any touch from an opponent during a fight is viewed as an escalation. Green later told reporters he had "no regrets." He said he would always come to a teammate’s defense. That’s just who he is.
👉 See also: Lo que nadie te cuenta sobre los próximos partidos de selección de fútbol de jamaica
The Long-Term Fallout of the Chokehold
This incident wasn't an isolated event. It was part of a cascading series of events that eventually led to Draymond being suspended indefinitely just a month later after he struck Jusuf Nurkic.
The Draymond Green chokes Rudy Gobert incident was the "check engine light" that the Warriors ignored.
It exposed a few things:
- The Warriors' reliance on Draymond's fire: When he’s gone, they lose a lot of their defensive identity, but when he’s there, he’s a liability to get ejected.
- The NBA's new era of discipline: The league is no longer giving star players a pass for "physicality."
- The Gobert-Green Feud: These two have hated each other for years. They’ve traded barbs over Defensive Player of the Year awards and podcast episodes. This was just the physical manifestation of years of beef.
Surprising details you might have missed
People often forget that Steph Curry wasn't even playing in this game. He was out with a knee injury. Rudy Gobert actually theorized after the game that Draymond wanted to get ejected because he didn't want to play a game without Steph. That’s a pretty wild accusation to throw at a Hall of Famer, but it shows how deep the animosity runs.
Also, the game actually continued. The Timberwolves ended up winning 104-101. Without Draymond and Klay, the Warriors were essentially a shell of themselves.
✨ Don't miss: Listen to Dodger Game: How to Catch Every Pitch Without a Cable Bill
What This Means for You as a Fan
Watching the NBA in 2026, we see a much shorter leash on this kind of behavior. If you’re following the league, keep an eye on how "enforcers" are being treated compared to ten years ago. The "Bad Boys" era of the 80s is officially dead.
If you want to understand the impact of these moments, look at the standings. The Warriors struggled during that five-game stretch, and the locker room tension was palpable. It changes the betting lines, the team chemistry, and the legacy of the players involved.
Actionable Insights for Following NBA Altercations:
- Check the "History" clause: The NBA now uses a "totality of circumstances" approach. If a player has a history, expect double the standard suspension time.
- Watch the "Third Man In": The league almost always hammers the third person who enters a scuffle more than the original two combatants.
- Follow the money: Check sites like Spotrac to see the actual financial impact. For guys like Draymond, these ejections cost more than some people's houses.
The rivalry between the Warriors and the Timberwolves didn't end that night. Every time they meet now, the air is a bit thicker. Whether you think Draymond was being a loyal teammate or a reckless "clown," the incident remains one of the most bizarre and violent moments in recent sports history.