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Warriors owner not taking sides during Durant-Green hostility

Gene Sweeney Jr. / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob is reassuring the team's fanbase that the decision to suspend Draymond Green for his confrontation with teammate Kevin Durant isn't an effort to simply appease Durant, who can walk during free agency this summer.

"I’ve read and heard all the things people are talking about. That we’re choosing one person over another. We’re not choosing anybody over anybody," said Lacob, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Al Seracevic.

A heated exchange between the two All-Stars following regulation in an eventual overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday carried over into the locker room, with Green challenging Durant about his upcoming free agency. Green reportedly dared Durant to bolt from the Bay Area this summer, mentioning how the Warriors were able to capture a championship before his arrival.

Green served his suspension on Tuesday during Golden State's 110-103 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The 28-year-old reportedly plans to appeal the $120,000 fine he received from the Warriors for his actions.

Lacob believes it was fair to only punish Green, and not Durant, for the spat.

"It never even occurred to us. That’s not the point," he said. "The point is, whether it would be any employee, they’d have to act certain ways to be our employee. Draymond knows that he went beyond - won’t say what he did, or what he said, or anything like that - he went beyond what we felt appropriate, so it didn’t matter who it was.

"And he understands that, by the way. I’ve been texting with him, and he totally gets it. I do have a great relationship with him, and I still do."

The Warriors have lost three of their last five games, and they entered Saturday's matchup against the Dallas Mavericks with a 12-4 record.

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