Draymond Green court date moved up to avoid Olympic clash

Draymond Green. AP

A Michigan judge agreed on Wednesday to bring forward a pre-trial conference for Draymond Green, the NBA star and US Olympic team member accused of striking a university football player at a restaurant at the weekend.

Documents posted on Thursday on the webpage of the 54B District Court in East Lansing, Michigan, showed that Green’s conference was brought forward from August 4, the day before the Rio de Janeiro Games begin, to Thursday, July 21.

The Lansing State Journal reported that Green’s lawyer sought the move saying that publicity surrounding the case could affect Green’s performance, while his Olympic travel schedule would make it hard for him to stay in touch with the court and his attorney.

Green was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning in East Lansing after an altercation at a restaurant.

According to a police report released on Wednesday, Michigan State University football player Jermaine Edmondson told police that Green struck him. The Golden State Warriors star, who was jailed and found to be intoxicated, tried to apologize for the incident, the report said.

Green, who played basketball for Michigan State, was charged on Monday with misdemeanor assault after waiving arraignment.

Edmondson, meanwhile, has been released by the Michigan State football team, with coach Mark Dantonio indicating on Wednesday that the move had been in the works for some time.