Draymond Green had plenty of time to reflect on the actions that led to his indefinite suspension from the NBA.
The Warriors' veteran forward admitted he experienced several dark times while being away from the team, and even contemplated walking away from the game he loves for good before NBA commissioner Adam Silver convinced him otherwise.
"I told him, 'Adam this is too much for me. This is too much. It's all becoming too much for me -- and I'm going to retire,'" Green said on a recent episode of "The Draymond Green Show," which premiered Monday morning. "And Adam said, 'You're making a very rash decision and I won't let you do that.'
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"We had a long, great conversation -- very helpful to me. Very thankful to play in a league with a commissioner like Adam who's more about helping you than hurting you; helping you than punishing you. He's more about the players."
The NBA indefinitely suspended Green after the four-time NBA champion swung and struck Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkić in the face during their Dec. 12 meeting at Footprint Center, stating his history of repeated behavior over the last couple of years played a role in the punishment.
The "indefinite" label came from the NBA wanting Green to focus on himself and getting better before being able to return to the hardwood. And apparently, that day was Saturday, when the league reinstated Green after he served a 12-game suspension.
Golden State Warriors
Green made his long-awaited return to the Warriors' facility the following day and took part in a pregame walkthrough with the team. He was back with the Warriors for Monday's matchup against the Toronto Raptors, a 133-118 loss at Chase Center.
Before the suspension, Green was averaging 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 15 games this season. The Warriors have gone 7-6 in Green's absence.
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