(Reuters) – Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been reinstated following his suspension for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in mid-December, the National Basketball Association (NBA) said on Saturday.
During the suspension, which began on Dec. 14 and resulted in Green missing 12 games, the Warriors forward completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players, according to the league.
“He has engaged in meetings with a counselor and has met jointly on multiple occasions with representatives of the NBA, the Warriors, and the National Basketball Players Association, both of which will continue throughout the season,” the league said in a news release.
Green was suspended indefinitely by the NBA after he was ejected from a Dec. 12 game for striking Nurkic in the face.
In the third quarter of the game, Nurkic had his hand on Green’s hip while defending him when the Warriors forward swung around wildly, hitting the Bosnian with his open hand.
Green received a “Flagrant Foul 2” and was ejected for making “unnecessary and excessive contact to the face,” the referees determined after a video review.
In announcing its suspension, the NBA said it took into account Green’s history of “unsportsmanlike acts” and that he would be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play.
Green previously served a five-game suspension in November for an altercation with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert and sat out Game Five of the 2016 NBA Finals versus the Cleveland Cavaliers for committing a flagrant foul on LeBron James in the prior game.
A four-time NBA champion, Green has played a crucial role in building the Warriors’ dynasty in the San Francisco Bay Area.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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