Draymond Green has had a rough couple of months. The Golden State Warriors’ forward was suspended during the playoffs and then collapsed with his teammates after going up 3-1 in the NBA Finals.
Things only got worse for Green when he was involved in a July 10th altercation with former Michigan State football player Jermaine Edmondson in East Lansing. The fight resulted in a pending misdemeanor assault and battery charge against Green.
“My attorneys are handling everything,” Green said. “Leave it in their hands, and I got an opportunity to compete for a gold medal. You don’t let any type of distraction get in the way of that. This [is] not about me. It’s not about anyone on this team. It’s about going out and defending our country the right way, so everything else is kind of secondary to that.”
Green’s pre-trial conference was originally scheduled for August 4th after he played in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Instead, it will take place on Thursday, July 21st. The Warriors’ star is accused of hitting Edmondson, even though the police originally stated nobody was injured.
Even though Green is under the spotlight for the wrong reasons, he said Team USA and coach Mike Krzyzewski haven’t punished him for his actions.
“Everybody’s concerned,” Green said. “But at the end of the day, as a public figure, as a guy that’s representing this country, it’s bigger than me. It’s bigger than anybody on this team. That’s just the stuff we have to remember.”
With the 2016 Opening Ceremonies in just 16 days, Green has stated his main focus is on winning gold with Team USA. However, it’s hard to ignore that a man standing accused of assault and battery chargers will be representing the United States during the Olympics.
Can't wait for this experience. Honored to represent my country and bring home that gold medal. #USABMNT #UNITE pic.twitter.com/oVbVYR2yXY
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) June 27, 2016
[ESPN]
