Draymond Green Sounds Off After Warriors' Loss to Pistons: “Let That Be the Last Time”
SAN FRANCISCO - Emotions were running high at Chase Center after the Warriors’ 131-124 loss to the Pistons, and Draymond Green didn’t hold back when talking about his latest run-in with the officials - specifically referee J.T. Orr.
The incident in question unfolded midway through the second quarter, when Green felt he was held by Isaiah Stewart while cutting to the paint. No whistle came, and as Steve Kerr challenged the play, Green followed Orr toward the scorer’s table to plead his case. That’s when things escalated.
According to Green, Orr put a hand in his face during the exchange - something Green took serious exception to.
“I find it very ironic that I got a technical foul for telling a Caucasian referee not to put his hand in my face,” Green said postgame. “As a Black man in America, don't put your hand in my face.
And I said, ‘Hey, don't put your hand in my face.’ And I gotta tech.
So I thought that was the most interesting thing of the night. Next to my bobblehead.”
That tech marked Green’s 10th of the season, putting him just six away from an automatic one-game suspension under the NBA’s technical foul policy. And for a player with a long history of walking the emotional tightrope - 209 career technicals and counting - this latest flare-up adds another layer to the ongoing conversation about how Green is officiated.
But for Green, this wasn’t just about one call or one game. It was about consistency - or in his view, the lack of it.
“Everybody want to talk about holding a line of respect; that line needs to be held both ways,” he said. “If the line won’t be held both ways, then the line won’t be held from my way either.
Because we all men. We all can make decisions and choices.
So let that be the last time that happens.”
Green also pointed to what he saw as a double standard earlier in the game. He said he had already been in dialogue with the officials about the Pistons getting away with delay-of-game violations - specifically Ausar Thompson holding onto the ball after made baskets, slowing down the Warriors’ ability to inbound quickly. Moments later, when Steph Curry did something similar on the other end, the Warriors were hit with a delay-of-game call.
“Same referee, J.T. Orr, he’s like, ‘Oh, well, maybe you got a point,’” Green recalled.
“No shit, it’s the rule. Can’t change the rule in the middle of the game.
So, yeah, that’s what the conversation was about… It’s unfortunate the rules change from person to person.”
Green’s relationship with NBA officials has been a long and complicated one. His intensity, leadership, and willingness to speak his mind are part of what make him the heartbeat of the Warriors - but they’re also what keep him in the league’s crosshairs.
For Green, that double-edged sword is something he’s learned to live with. But that doesn’t mean he’s willing to stay silent when he feels the line’s been crossed.
Draymond Green sounded off on the officials from tonight for giving him a technical foul:
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) January 31, 2026
“I find it very ironic I got a technical foul for telling a Caucasian referee not to put his hand in my face. As a black man in America, don’t put your hand in my face.”
Full soundbite: pic.twitter.com/TH92Cv3iSO
“I’ve had interactions with all of them,” he said with a wry smile, drawing laughs from the media scrum as he wrapped up his thoughts.
The Warriors, meanwhile, will have to regroup quickly. With the season entering a critical stretch and Green just a handful of techs away from a suspension, keeping emotions in check - while still playing with the fire that defines him - might be one of the biggest challenges ahead.