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Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, agreed with the NBA’s decision to penalize Draymond Green for hitting Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head.

Kerr addressed the suspension for the first time before the game against the Los Angeles Clippers, acknowledging that the league considered Green’s previous violations in handing him an indefinite suspension.

According to Kerr, the suspension is a reasonable consequence for the incident.

“To me this is about more than basketball, it’s about helping Draymond,” Kerr said. “I think it’s an opportunity for Draymond to step away and make a change in his approach, in his life, and that’s not an easy thing to do.

“That’s not something you say ‘OK, we’ll do five games’ and then he’s gonna be fine. The league did five games after the incident with Rudy [Gobert}. That’s not the answer, to pick a number. 

“The answer is to help Draymond, give him the help he needs. Give him the opportunity to make a change that will not only help him, help our team, but help him for the rest of his life. This is not just about an outburst on the court.

“This is about his life. This is about someone who I believe in, someone who I have known for a decade, who I love for his loyalty, his commitment, his passion, his love for his teammates, his friends, his family. Trying to help that guy.”