By: Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson
Last week, Draymond Green was suspended for Game 3 of the Warriors-Kings first-round series for stomping on Kings big man Domantas Sabonis, who had grabbed onto Green’s ankle during a fast break, in Game 2.
Since his suspension, the Warriors have won two straight games; one during his suspension and one with him coming off of the bench.
Following his suspension for Game 3, Metta Sandiford-Artest shared that he reached out to Green.
“I DMed Draymond,” he told me by phone. I’m just going to say that. I like him and I just felt like that he’s a legend and this is me and I’ve made tons of mistakes and I can teach people from my mistakes but, I want to tell him relax while in your career; no matter what happens win or loss just try to win but don’t get frustrated to the point where you…. You know? I don’t want to talk about anything that can add to how people think about him.”
The NBA acknowledged that Green’s suspension came in part because of his reputation for making dirty plays. That’s something that Metta Sandiford-Artest who is formerly known as both Metta World Peace and Ron Artest knows well.
The 4 time NBA all-defensive team member is known for his on the court and off the court controversies as much as he’s remembered for his game.
He once clotheslined J.J. Barea in the NBA Playoffs, he elbowed Manu Ginobili in 2006, sparked the brawl known as the “Malice at the Palace” in 2004 and Derek Anderson, also in 2004.
He linked the controversy with both Green and controversial Memphis Grizzlies forward, Dillon Brooks. Over the weekend, Brooks received a Flagrant 2 penalty which resulted in an ejection in Game 3 of Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs when he struck Los Angeles Lakers All-Star, LeBron James in the groin.
“I like his energy. Sometimes he reminds me of myself,” said Sandiford-Artest.
“But sometimes you can go overboard and this is the thing about Dillon like, before his career is over he’s going to want to build on it without it being taken away. So he’s going to have to figure out how to play aggressively, still be intimidating but keeping your mind in the game, you know what I’m sayin’? Because when you’re fouling people you’re putting people in the bonus. When you’re committing silly fouls, you’re putting them in the bonus.”
Sandiford-Artest correlated it to mistakes he made in his own career. “People don’t understand how important the bonus is,” he said.
“And then we’re talking about technical fouls. I’ve lost and I could’ve gone to the Finals because I got a flagrant foul when the score was tied with a minute left, you see what I’m sayin’? A minute left I got suspended for Game 2 Sacramento vs. the Spurs and we beat them in Game 1. I got suspended in Game 5 against the Lakers and we took ‘em [Boston] to Game 7, this is all playoffs, you know what I’m sayin’? Now I got one ring and now looking back on everything I’m just saying, Yo! I wish I would’ve never… I could’ve got to the Finals five times because of stupid reasons because I’m working hard to get my court — my American court going but it’s a little easier when you’re just playing the game and after your career is over you’re making relationships but everybody makes mistakes and that’s the other thing and we know we make mistakes but I just want to say like I think the reason why they… and I’m not saying that I’m trying to get through to anybody but I just have something to say privately to those guys.”
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson is a National hoops television analyst, writer, host and executive producer at Bally Sports Network. He’s also the host of the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
With stops as a staff writer at The Source Magazine and CBS Radio, he’s had previous stops as a host at Spotify, a Senior Writer at Heavy dot com, television analyst at MSG Networks and NBC Sports Network and a managing editor/columnist at RESPECT Magazine & Basketball Society.
A graduate of Eastern University, with a BA in Media Communication & Hofstra University with an MA in Journalism, he began his Journalism career at 12 years old hosting Nets Slammin’ Planet on AM Radio in NYC with the Nets.
