Warriors' Draymond Green criticizes referee after 10th technical foul: As a Black man in America, don't put your hand in my face'

"I find it very ironic that I got a technical foul for telling a Caucasian referee not to put his hand in my face, Green said. As a Black man in America, don't put your hand in my face. I said Hey, don't put your hand in my face and I got a tech, so I thought that was the most interesting part of the night."

"The NBA did not respond immediately to a request for comment by the Bay Area News Group. Everybody wants to talk about holding the line of respect, but that line needs to be held both ways, Green said. If the line won't be held both ways, it won't be held from my way, because we're all men and we can all make decisions and choices. So let that be the last time that happens."

Draymond Green publicly objected to referee JT Orr's handling of inbounds plays and to a technical foul assessed with 8:44 remaining in the second quarter. Green characterized the technical as insulting for reasons beyond basketball, citing being a Black man and an official putting a hand in his face. The exchange included a back-and-forth during a replay review and a warning from the official before the technical was called. The technical marked Green's 10th this season, inching toward a mandatory suspension threshold. Green urged that respect be enforced evenly between players and officials.

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