In today’s NBA, where image control and player safety are front and center, the idea of allowing players to fight-like they do in the NHL-sounds almost absurd. But Danny Green, a three-time NBA champion and longtime veteran of the league, thinks it’s a conversation worth having. On a recent episode of the No Fouls Given podcast, Green offered a candid take on how the game has changed, and why he believes a little more raw emotion might actually be good for basketball.
“The league fans, they want to see smoke, right?” Green said. “They want to see that type of tenacity, because all it does is enhance competitive nature.”
He’s not talking about turning every game into a brawl. What Green is getting at is the idea that the NBA has lost a certain edge-a visible intensity that used to fuel rivalries and raise the stakes.
In his view, when players jaw at each other, when emotions boil over a bit, it brings out a higher level of competition. And for fans, that passion can be just as compelling as a step-back three or a highlight-reel dunk.
Green even floated a bold idea: borrowing a page from the NHL’s playbook. “I wish we had an opportunity like hockey has, an opportunity to step into the box,” he said.
“I know we’re about to f***ing get to it real quick, then we can continue playing. But now a hard foul kicks people out of the game.”
It’s a provocative suggestion-one that’s sure to spark debate. In the NHL, players are allowed to fight under controlled conditions, often squaring off in brief, mutually agreed-upon bouts before serving a short penalty and returning to the ice. It’s a system that’s long been part of hockey culture, one that, in theory, lets players settle disputes without derailing the game entirely.
But the NBA is a different animal. The league has spent the better part of two decades reshaping its public image, especially in the wake of the infamous Malice at the Palace in 2004.
That incident-a full-scale brawl involving players and fans-was a turning point. Since then, the league has tightened its rules, cracked down on physical altercations, and emphasized sportsmanship and professionalism.
There’s also the matter of player safety. Basketball may not be a full-contact sport like football or hockey, but it’s still incredibly physical.
The risk of injury-particularly to the knees, ankles, and Achilles-is always looming. Introducing even a controlled form of fighting would raise serious concerns from team owners, executives, and medical staffs.
Still, Green’s comments tap into something real. Fans do respond to emotion.
They remember the rivalries that felt personal-Bird vs. Magic, MJ vs. the Bad Boys, Kobe vs. the Celtics.
Today’s league is faster, more skilled, and arguably more talented than ever. But it’s also more tightly regulated, and that sometimes means less visible fire between players.
If the NBA ever did entertain the idea of a “penalty box” system, one name would immediately jump to the top of the list: Draymond Green.
There’s no one in the league quite like the Golden State Warriors forward. A four-time champion and former Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond has built a Hall-of-Fame résumé on grit, intelligence, and defensive excellence. But his intensity has also made him one of the league’s most polarizing figures.
Over the course of his career, Draymond has been suspended six times. He’s racked up more technical fouls and fines than most players will see in a lifetime.
And then there’s the incident that still hangs over his legacy-the practice punch that landed squarely on the jaw of teammate Jordan Poole. It was a moment that underscored both the passion and volatility that define him.
Draymond plays with an edge. Always has.
And in a league where that edge is often dulled by rules and regulations, he stands out. He’s the kind of player who might thrive in a system that allowed for a little more emotional release-though, to be fair, he’s also the kind of player who might test the limits of that system every night.
At the end of the day, Danny Green’s comments aren’t about turning the NBA into a fight club. They’re about finding space for the kind of passion that once defined the league’s greatest battles. Whether that means letting players jaw a little more, easing up on technicals, or simply recognizing that emotion is part of the game-it’s a conversation worth having.
Because when the stakes are high and the tempers flare, that’s often when basketball is at its most unforgettable.