Draymond Green sued by ex-MSU football player, girlfriend over 2016 incident
Edmondson, Williams are suing for asault, battery and emotional distress from last July run-in with Green
Kirkland Crawford
The legal case involving former Michigan State basketball star Draymond Green in East Lansing last year has spilled into a California court room.
Jermaine Edmondson, the former MSU football player who said Green slapped him in July 2016, and his girlfriend, Bianca Williams, filed a lawsuit today in Alameda County against the NBA All-Star for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distresses.
According to NBC Bay Area, in a news conference today, Lisa Bloom, the attorney for Edmondson and Williams, said, "Mr. Green has refused to accept responsibility for his conduct and so we will ask a jury to educate him and hold him accountable."
A spokesperson for Green said this afternoon: “This lawsuit relates to an incident that occurred in East Lansing, Mich., over a year ago, for which Draymond paid a noise violation fine. Draymond looks forward to defending himself and clearing up the misinformation put forth today."
In the early morning of July 10, 2016, Green was arrested outside of Conrad’s Grill in East Lansing after police saw him slap Edmondson. Green, a forward for the Golden State Warriors, was charged with misdemeanor assault, though he reached a plea agreement later in the month for a noise violation, a civil infraction, and was fined $500, plus $60 of restitution. He avoided jail time. Green was also not allowed to make contact with Edmondson for one year.
Later in the summer, Green won a gold medal with the USA basketball team in the Rio Olympics.
Edmondson said the problem between him, Green and Williams began the night before the arrest at Rick’s American Café in East Lansing. He said Green bumped into him and then bullied the then-scholarship football player with a couple of racial slurs. Then, the lawsuit states two men with Green assaulted Edmondson and, as Williams tried to intervene, one of the unidentified men grabbed her by the neck.
"I need Draymond Green to admit what happened and that Bianca and I didn't deserve to be assaulted," said Edmondson, who confronted Green after the incident at Conrad’s.
Edmondson left the MSU football team shortly after the incident.
This past season, Green averaged 10.2 points and 7.9 rebounds and was named the defensive player of the year. He averaged 13.1 points in the playoffs as the Golden State Warriors won their second NBA title in three seasons.
The lawsuit states the court filing were made in Alameda County because that is the listed residence of Green.