Breaking: Warriors’ Draymond Green Breaks Silence on Infamous ‘Nut Shot’
Draymond Green has had his fair share of heated moments on the court. However, his infamous incident with Steven Adams in the 2016 Western Conference Finals remains one of his most controversial moments. It was Game 3 between the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder when Green’s leg flew up, landing squarely in Adams’ groin. Eight years later, Green finally cleared the air about the incident.
Draymond Green was joined by Houston Rockets star Fred Vanvleet on the latest episode of the ‘Draymond Green Show.’ As Green and VanVleet talked about his relationship with Adams, Green described the respect he feels for Adams despite their on-court clash.
Adams is currently signed with the Rockets, and Vanvleet brought up the ‘nut shot’ incident, prompting Green to clear the air.
Me and Steven Adams don’t really get into it much, I think there’s a mutual respect there… (on the ‘nut shot’ incident) I was selling the call.
Draymond Green said of his relationship with Adams
As Draymond Green spoke of his relationship with Adams, Vanvleet did not let him off the hook, reminding him that he kicked Adams “in the nuts.” Green hilariously responded that he wasn’t trying to intentionally hurt Adams. The Warriors forward revealed that he was trying to draw a call from the referees, flailing his body to sell the foul call.
Draymond Green hilariously described the incident, reenacting his flailing motion on the podcast. His leg inadvertently caught Adams in the groin, creating the infamous ‘nut shot’ incident.
Green has made a name for himself with his fiery playstyle. He never shies away from physicality on the court. However, the ‘nut shot’ incident with Adams continues to follow him almost a decade later.
The NBA implemented the “Draymond Rule” to change how groin hits are handled
While the ‘nut shot’ incident is spoken of lightly nowadays, the incident sparked the league to implement the ‘Draymond Rule’ in 2016. Following Draymond Green’s hit on Adams, the league tightened regulations around hits to the groin area. The rule emphasized that any contact in the nethers of the body would be closely scrutinized going forward.
The rule has since shaped how officials view and penalize contact in the league. While Draymond Green wasn’t the first player to make incidental contact with the groin region of a player, the infamous kick on Adams played a major role in prompting the league to change its rules.
The league’s decision to address this issue came with a clear message: basketball is a physical game, but not at the expense of player safety.
