Shaquille O'Neal DEFENDS Draymond Green for choking out Rudy Gobert, saying he would have 'done the same thing' as controversial Warriors star

Shaquille O’Neal has defended Draymond Green after he put Rudy Gobert in a headlock this week, saying he would have ‘done the same thing’ as the controversial Warriors forward.

Chaos ensued between the Warriors and Timberwolves on Tuesday when Golden State’s Klay Thompson and Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels began scuffling at midcourt, with players from both sides rushing to the situation.

And Green landed the harshest punishment of all for the incident after he choked out Gobert – though O’Neal wouldn’t blame him for his actions.

‘I don’t like to be a hypocrite of the situation, I would have did the same thing,’ he told TMZ. ‘You got to stick up for your teammates.’ 

Green landed a five-game suspension for the wrestling move, which even Warriors coach Steve Kerr called ‘wrong.’  

Draymond Green was ejected for putting Rudy Gobert in a headlock on Tuesday night

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But Shaquille O’Neal claims he would have done the same thing to stand up for his teammate

Minnesota Timberwolves center Gobert (top center) said Green’s antics were ‘clown behavior’ 

‘When you do those things, the NBA is gonna do what they do,’ O’Neal said. ‘I don’t want to say too harsh. Was it warranted? I don’t know, but I’m not gonna criticize Draymond Green for something I would have did.’

Gobert appeared to be fine after the incident, but branded Green’s actions as ‘clown behavior.’

‘I’m proud of myself for being the bigger man again and again,’ he said. ‘And yeah, he doesn’t even deserve me putting my hands on him. My team needed me tonight.

‘I did whatever I could to keep my cool and then show that I wasn’t making the situation worse, and I do hope that the league is going to do what needs to be done because that’s just clown behavior. Not much to say. It’s clown behavior.’

Green has 18 career ejections and has developed a reputation for questionable conduct, including his stomp on the Kings’ Domantas Sabonis in last year’s playoffs and a kick to Steven Adams’ groin in 2016. 

O’Neal, meanwhile, was booted from 14 games over his Hall of Fame career.