Draymond Green apologized and said he would stay away from the Golden State Warriors for “a few days” after video of star forward Jordan Poole throwing punches during practice was released Friday.
The Warriors have yet to publicly punish Green, with a suspension or fine, for his role in Wednesday’s altercation, but Green said he would spend an indefinite amount of time out to give his teammates a chance to “heal- se” and give oneself. an opportunity to refocus.
“I failed as a leader,” Green told a news conference Saturday, calling the hit a “big mistake” while apologizing to the Warriors organization, his teammates and Poole’s family. “I failed as a man.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Saturday that Green’s departure from the team was a “mutual decision” between the organization and the player and that there was “no set date” for a return. Green’s status for Golden State’s season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 18, when the defending champions will receive their rings, remains uncertain.
In the video footage, which was first released by TMZ without accompanying audio, Green walked to the baseline where Poole was standing until the two came face to face. Poole then pushed Green with both hands before Green hit him hard enough that Poole’s head was thrown back as the others rushed towards the pair.
The fight between Green and Poole was first reported on Wednesday, and the Warriors did not immediately discipline Green, instead treating the incident as an internal matter.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers told reporters Thursday that Green had apologized to the team for the altercation, had left the practice facility and was not expected to return until Saturday. Myers initially said he did not expect Green to be suspended or miss any games as a result, and Poole, who was not injured by the hit, returned to practice Thursday. That decision drew scrutiny after video of the incident was leaked on Friday.
Green said he was in a “very, very, very bad space mentally” and was “dealing with some things in my personal life” that possibly contributed to his short temper and reaction. Acknowledging her history of emotional outbursts, Green said she is a “flawed person” and a “constant work in progress,” and that she still has “a long way to go.”
“Hurt people hurt people,” he said. “I hurt someone because I was in a hurt place.”
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The 2017 Defensive Player of the Year also expressed frustration and embarrassment that the footage was leaked, and thanked the Warriors for the investigation to determine who was responsible. Green said he watched the video at least 15 times, concluding that his actions “look even worse than I thought” and were “pathetic”.
“I thought [the leak] it was bulls—,” Green said. “No other practice video is leaking. When we’re working on our sets, they don’t filter. When I’m coaching everybody, that doesn’t filter through.”
Several Warriors quickly came to Poole’s defense this week after a Yahoo report that there had been a “change in Poole’s behavior” during training camp with the possibility of a lucrative contract extension. Veteran forward Andre Iguodala called him a “high-character kid” and said Green’s behavior was “family business.” Warriors star Stephen Curry called claim ‘absolute BS’
“There’s nothing that justifies the situation,” Curry said Thursday. “I want to make that clear. It’s also something that we feel is not going to derail our season, what we’re trying to build, and that’s with Draymond being a part of that.”
Kerr said Poole has been “fantastic all over the field,” and the coach brushed off concerns about the guard’s attitude.
Green has been involved in several combative incidents throughout his career. During a profane 2016 halftime outburst directed at Kerr, Green yelled “I’m not a robot” so loudly that a reporter standing outside the visiting Oklahoma City locker room could hear him. In 2018, the Warriors suspended Green for one game for his role in an in-game argument with teammate Kevin Durant, a disagreement that preceded Durant’s 2019 departure for the Brooklyn Nets.
Green was suspended by the NBA after he lowballed LeBron James during the 2016 Finals and exceeded the flagrant foul point limit in the playoffs, an absence he later admitted cost the Warriors the 2016 title. He was also ejected from a second-round playoff game against the Memphis Grizzlies last May for a flagrant foul.
While under contract through the 2023-24 season, Green was eligible for an extension this offseason, though he said last month he did not expect to reach a deal before the start of the season.
Poole, 23, enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2021-22, averaging 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in his third season. Considered an early favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year, Poole’s upcoming contract could be similar in size to the four-year, $130 million extension recently signed by Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro.
Green said he had not met with Poole since the incident, but said parallel contract negotiations were not a motivating factor in his strike.
“I can assure you I’m not counting other people’s pockets,” he said. “That’s not something I would ever start doing. The way I was raised, that’s just hating another man’s situation.”
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