Draymond Green suffers 25th career ejection after hostile encounter with referee

Golden State Warriors

Draymond Green suffers 25th career ejection after hostile encounter with referee

Steph Curry suggested the team did not agree with the referee decision to eject Green

Jackson Thompson Fox News

Published

January 4, 2026 10:41am EST

Video

Warriors' Kevon Looney on playing with Draymond Green

Golden State Warriors center Kevon Looney talks to Fox News Digital about playing alongside Draymond Green and his intense demeanor.

NEW

You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Golden State Warriors player Draymond Green was ejected from Saturday's game against the Utah Jazz, marking his 25th career ejection and 22nd regular season ejection. It was also his second in the past eight games.

The penalty was dealt after Green played defense on Utah's Kyle Filipowski, who gestured to a nearby referee asking for a three-second violation to be called against Green. Green then let out an angry shout after the Jazz scored, prompting a technical foul.

After the whistle, Green approached referee Kevin Cutler and appeared to loudly berate the official. A second technical foul was assessed shortly after that antic, and Green was out of the game.

Green's teammates and coach Steve Kerr defended the oft-ejected player after the game.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Draymond Green (23) of the Golden State Warriors reacts against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 9, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

"I didn’t hear what he said, but it was a quick one," Kerr told reporters. "I know he got the T right away and then Kevin (Cutler) tossed him almost immediately. So I don’t know what he said, but I assume it was something that Kevin just wasn’t going to listen to. So I don’t know anything more about it than that."

RUSSELL WESTBROOK MAKES NBA HISTORY, PASSING OSCAR ROBERTSON IN SCORING MILESTONE

Kerr added that the team "needs" Green on the court.

"We need Draymond and I want him out there," Kerr said. "So I think he might be up to about nine techs. We’re not halfway through the season yet, so a long way to go and we need him."

Draymond Green: 'The agenda to keep making me look like an angry black man is crazy' | The Facility

Video

Warriors superstar Steph Curry suggested Green's actions did not warrant the ejection.

"I don’t know what he said to the ref," Curry said. "But I didn’t think it was — the consensus in the locker room was there wasn’t enough to get thrown out."

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green yells at the referee during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in San Francisco (AP Photo/Justine Willard)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Warriors won the game 123-114 to improve to 19-17.

Green and Kerr previously got into a heated incident on the bench during their game against the Orlando Magic in December.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.

Draymond Green suffers 25th career ejection after hostile encounter with referee