Draymond Green Gives Honest Reaction to LaMelo Ball–Bam Adebayo Incident

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo suffered a lower-back injury during Tuesday night’s NBA Play-In Tournament matchup against the Charlotte Hornets.

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball swiped at Adebayo’s leg as he fell to the floor at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center, causing a hard fall for the Heat’s best player. Adebayo was unable to return to the game as the Hornets went on to win with a 127-126 final score in overtime.

Ball was not called for a foul at the time, but the NBA retroactively issued a Flagrant 2. He was also issued a $35,000 fine for “making unnecessary and reckless contact” with Adebayo that “created a significant injury risk.”

This incident sparked some serious discussion around the league. And during the most recent episode of his podcast, Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green weighed in with his thoughts.

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Green likened the incident to his infamous stomp on Domantas Sabonis during the 2023 NBA playoffs.

“I think I can speak to this as good or better than anyone,” Green said. “I am actually someone that my ankle got grabbed, and I stomped on the chest. When the guy grabbed my ankle, there was no fine. There was no suspension for him. There was only a suspension for me. … Unfortunately I’d have to get hurt for [the NBA] to [punish] him.”

“If Bam Adebayo doesn’t get hurt, LaMelo Ball doesn’t get a fine,” Green continued. “I’m happy they didn’t suspend LaMelo for a game. Because you can’t suspend him just because [Adebayo] got hurt.”

“Was it an intentional trip? To me, he grabbed and pulled him. Yes it was an intentional trip. Was he intentionally trying to hurt him? No,” Green concluded.

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Ball and the Hornets will face off against the Orlando Magic in an NBA Play-Tournament matchup on Friday night, battling for the final No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Green and the Warriors will matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Friday, fighting for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 1:32 PM.