Draymond Green delivered a public apology Saturday for punching teammate Jordan Poole in practice this week and said that rebuilding trust with his Golden State Warriors teammates will be key moving forward.
On Friday, TMZ distributed video of Wednesday’s incident that showed Green standing on the wing during a stoppage in play, while Poole is on the baseline. Green walks over to Poole and bumps him with his chest before Poole shoves Green. At that point, Green takes a swing with his right hand before both players go to the ground behind the basket while staff members move to break up the fracas.
“There’s a huge embarrassment that comes with (it),” Green said Saturday. “Not only for myself, as I was the one who committed the action … but the embarrassment that Jordan has to deal with and that this team has to deal with, this organization has to deal with. But also Jordan’s family. His family saw that video. His mother, his father saw that video. If my mother saw that video, I know how my mother would feel.”
Green expressed his sorrow for the incident in an original apology to the team Thursday and then departed the facility as the defending NBA champion Warriors practiced without him.
Green said Saturday that he intends to remain away from the team for at least a few more days. The veteran had been preparing for his 11th NBA season, all with the Warriors.
“That is the task at hand to rebuild trust in our locker room and pull everything back together in order to repeat and defend a championship,” Green said. “Although that is the least of my worries right now, that has to stay at the forefront.”
Still to be determined is how Green will be disciplined for the incident. Warriors general manager Bob Myers said he didn’t think the punishment would include missing any games.
“As far as any suspension, punishment, fine, we’re gonna handle that internally,” Myers said. “I understand you might have questions on that, but that’s gonna be an internal process.”
After a grainy video of the incident was revealed by TMZ on Friday, ESPN reported the team was working to find the source of the video using “every legal course of action.”
Kerr said there was high energy during Thursday’s practice.
“There’s been a great vibe,” Kerr said. “We’ve had a hell of a camp. You have bumps in the road and you deal with it.”
Green, 32, is a four-time All-Star and a seven-time All-Defensive selection with career averages of 8.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
Poole, 23, is entering his fourth season after the Warriors selected him No. 28 overall in the 2019 draft. He broke out last season, averaging 18.5 points per game in 76 contests (51 starts).
“I love Jordan Poole; that’s my guy,” said Green, who admitted that he did not know if his original apology to the team Thursday was received well by Poole. “I will still ride for Jordan, still advocate for Jordan and do anything I can to make Jordan’s job easy.”
–Field Level Media
