Charles Oakley knows a thing or two about being tough and physical on the court, so if anyone can relate to Warriors forward Draymond Green, it's him.
Green was suspended by the NBA late Tuesday for stepping on Kings center Domantas Sabonis' chest in the 4th quarter of the Warriors' 114-106 Game 2 loss to Sacramento. Officials assessed him a technical foul before upgrading it to a Flagrant 2 foul and then ejected him.
Oakley, who was assessed 168 technical fouls in his 19-year NBA career, came to Green's defense when he joined 95.7 The Game's 'Willard & Dibs' on Wednesday.
"I think Draymond [Green] was trying to protect himself. ... I feel sorry for the Warriors, who are missing the guy who anchors their team in a lot of ways. ... I guess when he comes back from the suspension, he's got to be careful," Oakley said. "It's a tricky situation for Draymond, but he's got to realize he means a lot to his team. ... I've been hit in the face. Sometimes you gotta take the hit and if they do it twice, you gotta protect yourself more."
While officials reviewed the play to determine if it met the criteria for a Flagrant foul, Green was seen jawing with Kings fans behind the Warriors' bench while they hurled expletives in his direction.
And it is Oakley's opinion that the NBA might have been more upset by his interactions with the fans than they were about the actual incident with Sabonis.
"I think it's more after the incident with the fans because getting the fans all riled up on the road, that's not good. Because something else could have happened."
The Warriors will look to avoid going down 3-0 when they take on Sacramento in Game 3 on Thursday night at the Chase Center.
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