The NBA fined Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green $50,000 Wednesday for using sports betting to question the integrity of the referees.
Green allegedly said “5.5 (points) … I know what y’all doing,” referring to the betting odds for a Game 3 Western Conference semifinal matchup between the Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Playoffs.
Key Takeaways
- Online sleuths believed Green's comments were directed at teammates.
- NBA has a strong no-tolerance position on sports betting and the criticism of officials.
ESPN cameras caught Green’s comment with 15.2 seconds remaining in Game 3 and the Warriors down by eight points.
Did Draymond tell his team the spread?
— Covers (@Covers) May 11, 2025
The Warriors ended up hitting a 3 and covering the spread in the final seconds 🤔 pic.twitter.com/vpLM1afxrI
Green fouled out with 4:38 remaining in the fourth quarter and his team trailing 84-82, a decision he contested, but that his team could not challenge.
Many online sleuths believed that Green’s remarks were directed toward his teammates, not the officials. That’s because right after the cameras showed his remarks, Jonathan Kuminga hit a meaningless 3-pointer to bring the final score to 102-97, giving the Timberwolves the win and the Warriors the cover.
Strong punishments
While not as compelling a storyline, it should come as no surprise that the volatile Green had another run-in with league officials. He had a playoff-high five technical fouls and, according to Spotrac, has been fined $992,000 over the course of his career, including $185,000 in fines for actions towards officials.
He also lost $3.2 million to suspensions, most memorably Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals in which the record-setting Warriors blew a 3-1 home lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The NBA takes a strong no-tolerance position on sports betting. It permanently banned ex-Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter last year for conspiring with known sports bettors to limit his availability and help cash the under on his prop bets.
The league also issued fines to players such as Luka Doncic, Rudy Gobert, and Trae Young for rubbing their fingers together and making a “money” gesture toward refs during games.
Draymond’s future in Golden State
The NBA won’t have to worry about any more run-ins with Green until next fall. The Warriors’ 121-110 loss on Wednesday brought an end to their second-round series with the Wolves in five games.
Green signed a four-year, $100-million contract with the team two years ago. He has a player option at the end of next year, which would pay him $27.7 million.
He has made $202 million in career earnings.
