5 dirtiest plays of Draymond Green's career

#3 Draymond Green hit an already injured Mike Conley in Game 2 of the 2015 NBA Western Conference Semi-finals

Mike Conley wearing a face mask during the 2015 NBA Western Conference Semis [Source: AP]

Draymond Green might have gotten away with a flagrant foul here when he hit Mike Conley in the face, who was with the Memphis Grizzlies at the time.

It was Conley's first game back from facial fracture surgery, and he was wearing a face mask for protection. But during the second quarter of Game 2 of the 2015 NBA Western Conference Finals, Green hit him in the face while trying to get the ball.

Whether it was intentional or accidental is a mystery, but Conley fell to the ground grabbing his face in pain. Mike Conley showed sportsmanship and veteran maturity as he brushed away the incident calling it 'just basketball', and the Grizzlies also thought it was just incidental. He said after practice, as reported by SFGate:

"At the end of the day, I think Draymond Green is a phenomenal player...He’s a competitor. In the heat of the game, things happen. Guys get hit. Guys bring a lot of passion to the game. I have no opinion other than that. I think it was just basketball."

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#2 Draymond Green kicked Steven Adams in the groin during the 2016 NBA Western Conference Finals

Draymond Green (right) kicks Steven Adams in the groin in 2016 [Source: AP]

It is noteworthy that Draymond Green has kicked Steven Adams in the groin not once, but twice.

He did so for the first time in Game 3 against OKC Thunder during the 2016 NBA Western Conference Finals. He was slapped a foul at the time which was later upgraded to a flagrant 2 by the league. A flagrant 2 foul would have resulted in automatic ejection had it been called during the game. Green was also fined $25,000 by the NBA, but was not suspended as many fans expected.

The incident was at OKC Thunder's home, and the fans chanted "Kick him out" in the arena, and several Twitter polls suggested that he be suspended. The groin kick happened again in the same series, but this time at the Warriors' home court.

NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Kiki VanDeWeghe issued a statement saying:

"After a thorough investigation that included review of all available video angles and interviews with the players involved and the officials working the game, we have determined that Green's foul was unnecessary and excessive and warranted the upgrade and fine...During a game, players at times flail their legs in an attempt to draw a foul, but Green's actions in this case warranted an additional penalty."

The Golden State Warriors started to fear a one-game suspension because of the accumulation of technical fouls and flagrants by Green. That fear turned out to be true later in the postseason.

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#1 Draymond Green swipes at LeBron James' groin during the 2016 NBA Finals

LeBron James steps over Draymond Green during the 2016 NBA Finals

LeBron James stepped over Draymond Green, and the latter retaliated by swinging his fist. The swing appeared to be near James' groin, and the NBA issued a suspension for Green for Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals.

Green didn't actually hit James, and it has never happened in the history of the NBA that a key starter was suspended in the middle of a Finals series. This was one of the most controversial suspensions in the league's history, and it eventually resulted in the Cavaliers' first championship in franchise history.

Many analysts, till this day, believe that the NBA gave LeBron James a gift, or 'stimulus package', as ESPN analyst Stephen A Smith calls it, by suspending Green.

Draymond Green is the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors, and his suspension during a close-out Game 5 flipped the series in the Cleveland Cavaliers' favor. Nevertheless, LeBron James is one of the smartest players in basketball, and he likely did everything he could to get under the skin of Green, who was already hanging by a thread in terms of technical fouls.

Green doesn't regret the reaction he had that game but regrets that his shenanigans led to a loss in the 2016 NBA Finals. That could have been the greatest season ever by any team in NBA history.