Warriors' Draymond Green has another fan confrontation

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Warriors' Draymond Green has another fan confrontation

2025-11-17 13:27 Last Updated At：13:30

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Golden State forward Draymond Green went nearly chest-to-chest with a fan during the Warriors' 124-106 road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.

“He just kept calling me a woman. It was a good joke at first but you can't keep calling me a woman,” Green said, clarifying later that the fan was calling him “a woman's name.”

“I got four kids and one on the way," Green added. "Just don't be disrespectful.”

The fan, who identified himself as Sam Green, 35, of New Orleans, was wearing a black polo with a Pelicans logo on it. He was standing and cheering after Draymond Green had been called for a shooting foul while guarding Pelicans forward Herb Jones.

While players began taking their positions along the key for Jones' foul shots, Draymond Green strode over to the grinning fan and stood just inches from him as they spoke to one another, with the fan holding his arms out on each side.

Game officials quickly stepped between them and pulled Draymond Green away while ushers gathered around and spoke with the fan, who continued to look amused by the exchange.

Draymond Green said game official Courtney Kirkland told him, “I got it. I've heard him over and over and over again. You've handled it well. Don't get yourself in no trouble. I'll take care of it. Courtney was great.”

Sam Green said he was heckling Draymond Green with chants of “Angel Reese,” because several of the Warriors' star's early rebounds resulted from his short-range misses, starting with a Golden State possession in which Green missed five straight shots and rebounded the first four. Draymond Green finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Sam Green said the NBA star shouted profanity at him and threatened to punch him out if he continued the “Angel Reese” taunts (a refence to the WNBA and former LSU star who set several LSU and SEC rebounding records).

“I wasn't using profanity and for him to walk 12 feet off the court to come and get in my face like that, it was a little unnerving,” said Sam Green, who was given a warning by ushers but was allowed to remain in his front-row seat.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said in postgame remarks that he couldn't comment extensively about the confrontation because he wasn't sure what was said.

“As long as it doesn't escalate, it's fine (for a player) to go over and have a discussion,” Kerr said. “It would have been nice if security had gotten there a little bit earlier.”

Draymond Green, who has been known to draw technical fouls, fines and ejections for his confrontational and emotionally combustible on-court persona, has been fined for fan interaction before.

In 2022, he was fined $25,000 for what the NBA described as “directing obscene language toward a fan.”

Green has been critical of fan behavior, saying fans face relatively few consequences for saying inappropriate things, and are in fact motivated to do so by the fact that players can be fined for engaging with them.

Green said Sunday night that he is accustomed to heckling at road games and that it generally doesn't bother him.

“I love disrespect on the road because we win a lot,” Green said. “Quieting a home crowd is always fun.”

Although the Pelicans have won just two of their first 13 games and fired coach Willie Green on Saturday, Green said he was surprised to see such a small crowd for a game in which Stephen Curry was playing. Announced attendance was 18,373, close to capacity, but many seats remained empty.

“The Steph Curry show; it usually travels,” Green said. “Man, this place; it's tough in here.”

“You want to go into full arenas (which) also helps the entire league out,” Green said. “So, you might need to take a look. It's interesting.”

AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA

The Latest: Trump says Iran war could last weeks as Netanyahu defends decision to attack

As the war in the Middle East intensifies, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the U.S. has “the capability to go far longer" than its projected four-to-five-week time frame for its military operations against Iran.

Across Tehran, the sound of explosions rang out through the night and into the early morning hours Tuesday, as the U.S. and Israel have continued to pound Iran since killing its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.

Tehran and its allies have hit back against Israel, neighboring Gulf states, and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas.

The intensity of the attacks and the lack of any apparent exit plan set the stage for a prolonged conflict with far-reaching consequences. Israel and the U.S. have given conflicting answers about what exactly the war’s objectives are or what the endgame might be.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Monday defended the decision to go to war, contending in an interview on Fox News Channel’s "Hannity" that Iran was rebuilding “new sites, new places” that would make “their ballistic missile program and their atomic bomb program immune within months,” without providing evidence.

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed limited activity at two nuclear sites in Iran before the war, with analysts saying it was likely Tehran was trying to assess damage from American strikes in June and possibly salvage what remained there.

Here is the latest:

The Israeli military says one of its divisions is operating inside southern Lebnaon and took positions on several strategic points close to the border.

The Arabic language spokesperson of the Israeli military posted on X that the troops’ move inside Lebanon is part of its efforts to bolster the forward defense system and create an addition layer of security.

The military said that at the same time the air force is conducting strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the area to thwart threats and prevent infiltration attempts into Israel.

The Israeli operations inside Lebanon came after a long night of airstrikes on southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

The Israeli military says there are no immediate plans to deploy ground troops in Iran.

Asked about the possibility of sending in ground forces, spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters it is “not very likely.”

Thailand is intensifying security around the U.S., Israeli and Iranian embassies as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies.

Public broadcaster Thai PBS quoted the head of the National Security Council, Chatchai Bangchua, describing the additional measures as he said authorities would also monitor sites linked to the countries.

Thailand depends heavily on tourism and is one of Asia’s most-visited countries, attracting more than 32 million foreigners last year. It is a popular destination for Americans, Israelis and citizens of Gulf countries and before recent airspace closures received dozens of direct flights from the Middle East each week.

The Israeli military says soldiers are “operating in southern Lebanon’ as it continues strikes against Hezbollah.

In a statement, it said the troops are positioned at a several points near the border in what it described as a “forward defense posture” as it battles Hezbollah militants.

It says the deployment is part of a broader effort to increase security for residents in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon. It has also beefed up troops and air defenses in the area.

The army says there are no plans to evacuate Israeli residents of border areas.

Israel has been occupying five positions in southern Lebanon since a November 2024 ceasefire ended more than a year of fighting with Hezbollah. Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani says the new deployment is in addition to those five positions, with the aim of preventing attacks on Israeli border towns.

The U.S. State Department added Kuwait and Qatar to the evacuation list from its Mideast diplomatic outposts.

The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is shutting down as the Middle East is grabbed in a widening war.

The embassy said in a social media post Tuesday that it is closing “until further notice” due to the war.

Iran on Tuesday held a mass funeral ceremony for 165 people killed in what it described as an attack on a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab.

Iranian state television showed thousands of people filling a public square. Men waved the Islamic Republic flag while largely standing apart from women draped in black chadors.

From the stage, a women who said she was the mother of “Atena” held up a printed image of portraits that she called “a document of American crimes.” She added, “They died in the way of God.”

The crowd erupted into chants of “Death to America,” “Death to Israel” and “No surrender.”

U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said he was aware of reports that a girls’ school was struck and officials were looking into them.

An Israeli military spokesperson said Sunday he was not aware of any Israeli or U.S. strikes in the area.

Qatar Airways said it would remain grounded Tuesday over the war.

Amazon said Monday that two of its data centers in United Arab Emirates were hit by drones, while a drone strike near one of its facilities in Bahrain “caused physical impacts to our infrastructure.”

The tech giant said on its website that the strikes have caused structural damage and gotten in the way of power getting to infrastructure. The company did not say who was responsible for the strikes.

“We are working to restore full service availability as quickly as possible, though we expect recovery to be prolonged given the nature of the physical damage involved,” Amazon said.

Iran is continuing to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Perisan Gulf through which a fifth of all oil traded passes.

Brig. Gen. Ebrahim Jabbari, an adviser to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, issued the threat on Iranian state television on Monday.

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed. Anyone who wants to pass, our devotee heroes in the IRGC navy and the army will set those ships on fire,” he said. “Don’t come to this region.”

The Israeli military said Tuesday it was conducting “simultaneous targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut,” without elaborating.

The U.S. State Department said it added Iraq to the evacuation list from its Mideast diplomatic outposts.

The U.S. State Department on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and family in Bahrain and Jordan.

The State Department announcement online said the decision came “due to safety risks.” The department has urged Americans across the Mideast to leave over the ongoing war with Iran.

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia acknowledged coming under attack from Iranian drones Tuesday and urged Americans to avoid the diplomatic post for the time being.

The Saudi Defense Ministry earlier Tuesday said the embassy was attacked by two drones.

Across Iran’s capital, the sound of explosions rang out throughout the night into the early morning hours.

Witnesses described hearing aircraft overhead as well.

It wasn’t immediately clear what had been hit.

Iranian state television early Tuesday read a statement from the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, saying that it launched a missile and drone attack targeting an air base in Bahrain.

Israeli airstrikes hit the Lebanese capital Tuesday morning.

The Israeli military said it was targeting “Hezbollah command centers and weapons storage facilities in Beirut.”

Hezbollah also said it launched drones targeting an Israeli air base.

The Israeli military said it downed two drones.

Tokyo has told Japanese shipowners to have their ships stay away from the Persian Gulf to ensure the safety of their crew members.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters Tuesday that the Transport Ministry has notified the Japanese Shipowners’ Association to do the utmost to protect crews on board the ships in the region.

Kihara said those already in the Gulf are urged to lie at anchor where it is safe to do so.

On Monday, Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with Iranian ambassador to Japan Peiman Seadat and conveyed Japan’s consistent stance that Iran must stop attacks on neighboring countries and other actions destabilizing the region.

Motegi also noted the importance of ensuring safety in the Strait of Hormuz, which is key to Japan’s energy security.

Iran’s top diplomat early Tuesday sought to turn the tables on the United States, describing it as entering “a war of choice on behalf of Israel.”

After Trump urged Iranians to take over their government, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the same call to Americans.

“Shedding of both American and Iranian blood is thus on Israel Firsters,” Araghchi wrote on X. “American people deserve better and should take back their country.”