National Basketball Association

Tom Izzo defends Draymond Green, says he isn't a dirty player

Published Jun. 14, 2016 11:41 a.m. ET

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Draymond Green's passionate play (or dirty play, depending on your perspective) finally cost the Golden State Warriors, as he was suspended for Game 5 of the NBA Finals for a Game 4 incident with LeBron James. The Warriors obviously missed Green's presence on the court and dropped what would have been a title-clinching game, and the Warriors will now head to Cleveland for a Game 6.

Green's former coach Tom Izzo joined the Dan Patrick Show Tuesday morning to discuss Green's polarizing style of play, and said that while Green may sometimes do regrettable things in the heat of the moment, he isn't a dirty player.

The question remains, though, is Draymond Green actually a dirty player? A considerable amount of evidence is mounting that would suggest Green is perhaps not the cleanest player on the floor. He leads the league in playoff technicals this year with five, and was third in the regular season with 13 technicals. There's also this: