Often Caught Fighting, Draymond Green Urges Adam Silver to Disband One NBA Rule to Avoid On-Court Altercations

Over the years, Draymond Green has earned a bit of a reputation as an instigator in the league. He does not shy away from a confrontation, nor will he hesitate to throw hands if it comes down to it. His saga of on-court altercations spans from kicking players in the groin, stomping on their chest, and putting them in a chokehold to everything in between. The Warriors forward has already been ejected thrice this season and suspended twice for escalating on-court altercation during a game and striking Phoenix Suns’ center Jusuf Nurkic in the face. So, it was almost ironic when he was the one proposing a rule change to prevent skirmishes on the court. However, on the bright side, at least someone is advocating for change.

The unwritten rule has caused a bit of a ruckus in the league as of late. Since the second half of the season kicked off, there have been two skirmishes, both ignited by an unwritten rule that suggests players should hold the ball rather than try to score when the game is already out of reach. Things got out of hand during the Warriors‘ 97-84 blowout win against the Hornets, and then again the next day when the T-Wolves swept the Nets in a 101-86 win. In the wake of these ugly on-court brawls, Green called on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Executive Vice President Joe Dumars, and the competition committee to implement stricter measures in place for players reacting aggressively for violating the unwritten rule of showboating.

The former DPOY proposed that players who take exception to the unwritten rule being broken and respond violently should face an automatic one-game suspension. “This is basketball. There is no-mercy rule. This is the NBA. You don’t wanna lose, win the game. But the unwritten rule has to stop and it has to stop now,” said the GSW forward. But were the recent brawls the result of players showboating and running up the score, or were they simply a response to the frustration of being on the losing end of a blowout?

The unwritten rule is getting out of hand

The unwritten rule of basketball is violated only when the players purposely try to score after the shot clock is turned off. However, the Warriors had a two-second differential between the shot clock and game clock when guard Lester Quinones attempted a layup. But even after goaltending the shot, Hornets wing Miles Bridges took issue with Quinones for not collecting a turnover and shooting the ball instead.

Similarly, during the Wolves vs. Nets scuffle, the Wolves still had three seconds left on the shot clock when Mike Conley fired up a three to keep the play moving, not to run up the score. However, once again, the Wolves’ Dennis Schroder took exception and responded by getting into Conley’s face.

What are your thoughts on the unwritten rule? Do you agree with Draymond Green? Let us know in the comments!

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