Draymond Green was given a flagrant foul 1 for hitting LeBron in the nuts after the pair got tangled up during Game 4. Draymond fall to the ground and LeBron proceeded to step over Draymond when he was struck in the groin. The flagrant foul pushed Draymond over the limit for the playoffs and resulted in Green being suspended for Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
LeBron is denying that he did anything wrong in the incident with Draymond. LeBron claims he was just trying to play on after the two were tangled up.
“I was just trying to get back into the play. I think what had happened was intentional. I knew we got into a grapple at the top of the key, but me just trying to get back into the play. That was my whole mindset.”
LeBron also says that he had no idea Draymond was on the verge of a one game suspension. Not sure how much I believe LeBron on this, considering Draymond suspension talk has been big over the past month. Especially after the Steven Adams incident last series against the Thunder.
“I think something like that you’re unaware. I didn’t even know at that point in time. But you are aware of what’s going on in the game. You know if a guy has one foul, you know if a guy has two fouls. You know if a guy has one technical or if a guy’s injured or whatever the case may be. Those things that are happening throughout the course of the game, you notice those things…But you’re not – I’ve never been aware, okay, if a guy gets one more flagrant or if a guy gets, I don’t know, one more penalty point — I’m not quite sure of all that stuff. I’m not aware of that.”