“Hood Winked!”: Draymond Green Highlights Joel Embiid’s Flagrant Record vs His Own

Is Joel Embiid a “dirty player”? This question was discussed multiple times during the recently concluded Philadelphia 76ers-New York Knicks first-round series. The 2x scoring champion drew the ire of many fans for what they thought was physically dangerous hooping. Many wondered how the Cameroonian-American Center keeps getting away with suspensions despite repeated violations. In the wake of all this, Draymond Green questioned whether his image as a “dirty player” is overblown compared to Embiid.

Green recently referred to a post by ClutchPoints’ Instagram handle, which went into how Embiid has 2 more flagrant foul violations than the Golden State Warriors forward despite appearing in 481 fewer games.

Green took to his Instagram and shared the graphic with the caption “Hoodwinked!”. He was implying that NBA fans have been misled when it comes to his reputation as a ‘dirty player’. On the other hand, players like Embiid have managed to fly under the radar because of their superstar status. As per Green, Joel Embiid should be questioned as well regarding his relentless flagrant plays.

Does Draymond Green have a point? The series against the Knicks certainly provided a strong argument for Green’s case. During Game 3, Embiid kicked Isaiah Hartenstein in the pelvic area in an off-the-ball situation. Additionally, in Game 4, he stepped on Josh Hart after drawing a foul. However, it was unclear if it was intentional or not. Amidst multiple instances, one incident stood out the most.

During Philly’s Game 3 win, after hitting the deck on a play, Joel Embiid grabbed Knicks Center Mitchell Robinson’s leg as he was going up for a lay-up. Many voices called out the 76ers Center for dangerously grabbing and pulling down the leg of an athlete who had just recently undergone ankle surgery.

Draymond Green feels there is a double standard

Joel Embiid’s flagrant foul on Mitchell Robinson during Game 3 drew the biggest condemnation. Many fans called for his suspension and accused the league of shielding the reigning MVP. They wondered if any other player could get away with such actions repeatedly. In this light, Draymond Green also argued that he’d have suffered much more severe repercussions if he had grabbed Robinson’s leg like the 76ers Center.

He referred to Game 1 of the first-round series between Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings last year, when he had kicked Domantas Sabonis after the latter had seemingly grabbed his leg first. The forward was ejected from Game 1 and then suspended from Game 2. Thus, the 2017 DPOY questioned why he was penalized for retaliating, whereas Embiid was let go with a slap on the wrist. On X, Green wrote, “You had nothing to say when Sabonis grabbed my ankle mid run, now did you?” 

While Green’s gripe is understandable, the criticism directed at him has often come in the wake of some over-the-top action. In December 2023, he was suspended for choking Rudy Gobert during a scuffle. Then after a few months, he once again hit Jusuf Nurkic out of nowhere. His complaints regarding Joel Embiid have some merit, but the Warriors forward has gone out of his way to make sure that the label of “dirty player” stays with him.