“I absolutely hated him, I mean, he played against Michigan State, like, ‘Get this kid out of here’” - Draymond Green says he’s never seen Jordan Poole shy away from big moments since his college days
Draymond Green and Jordan Poole are currently teammates. But Green's Michigan State Spartans and Poole's Michigan Wolverines are rivals, which has led to some animosity.
While NBA players come from all over the world, there are often teammates who come from college rivals because of the caliber of both programs.
Michigan State and Michigan have an incredibly intense rivalry in basketball because both schools have been powers for decades.
On "The Draymond Green Show" podcast, Green spoke about Poole and why he did not like him while at the rival school.
"Jordan, as we all know, went to the school down the highway from Michigan State University," Green said. "No need to mention the school's name, but I absolutely hated him. I mean, he played against Michigan State. Like, 'Get this kid out of here.'
"Like, I've never seen him back down in a moment, and that dates back to then. Like, I've never seen him shy away from a moment. He wants all those moments, and it showed in these two playoff games. I mean, he got 59 points in two games. What is that – 29.5 points average?
"again, the first two playoff games, that's a different thing. Like, that's a totally different beast. And not to be confused, he's out there running alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. That right there is intimidating in itself. You start talking playoff basketball."
Poole, in his third season, is playing his best basketball.
The No. 28 pick in the 2019 draft, Poole set career highs across the board this season. He averaged 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 points and 30.0 minutes per game. He shot 44.8%, including 36.4% from 3-point range, and he started 51 games and played in 76.
Michigan State's Draymond Green had a good reason to hate Jordan Poole at Michigan
While Jordan Poole was at Michigan, he was not the standout player he is becoming in the NBA. But he did show flashes.
In one of the most significant moments in Poole's two years with the Wolverines, he hit a clutch shot to advance in the NCAA Tournament. His 3-pointer against Houston sent Michigan to the Sweet 16 in 2018.
to the Sweet 16!And what was MGoBlue.com’s No. 1 moment of the year? (🥁 roll) You guessed it ...
@JordanPoole_2 dramatic last second shot vs. Houston to send 〽️🏀 to the Sweet 16!
Don't forget to vote JP's play for an @ESPYS | VOTE » myumi.ch/Lq7V1
#GoBlue https://t.co/LOHQckZyn1
Poole's performance in the clutch in college translates during his current playoff run. If he can continue to develop, he could be the next great Michigan product in the NBA.