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Draymond Green received his 10th technical foul of the season and the 209th of his career, including the playoffs. But this one in particular gave him a hard time.
The Golden State Warriors forward found himself Friday night against the Detroit Pistons after an exchange with official JT Orr during his own bobblehead night.
Green was upset that Orr, who is white, put his hand in his face.
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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green reacts after the Warriors committed a turnover against the Detroit Pistons in the first quarter at Chase Center. (Cary Edmondson/Imagn Images)
“I’ll tell you this, though. I find it very ironic that I got a technical foul for telling a Caucasian referee not to put his hand in front of my face. As a black man in America, don’t put your hand in front of my face,” Green said.
“I said, ‘Hey, don’t put your hand in my face.’ And I have a technician. So I thought that was the most interesting thing of the evening, next to my figurine.”
Green then criticized the official and said respect was a two-way street.
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors reacts after making a three-pointer against the Detroit Pistons in the first half at Chase Center on January 30, 2026, in San Francisco, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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“He said, ‘Draymond, this is your chance to stop talking to me. (I said), ‘Brother, don’t put your hand in front of my face.’ Ah, technology. Ah! Okay. Everyone wants to talk about respect. This line must be respected in both directions. So if the line won’t be held both ways, then the line won’t be held my way either, because we’re all men and we can all make decisions and choices. So let this be the last time this happens,” he said.
Earlier this month, Green had his 24th eviction. He ranks second in career ejections among NBA players all-time, just five behind Rasheed Wallace, who holds the record with 29.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green yells at the referee during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)
Green also leads all active NBA players in technical fouls and passed Anthony Mason for seventh place on the all-time leaderboard earlier this month. He needs two more to pass Dwight Howard and 60 more to pass Dennis Rodman and enter the top five.
