“I’m the guy that supported Jordan when he was sent to G League” - Draymond Green reflects on physical altercation with Jordan Poole, mentions he will always have love for the latter
Draymond Green finds himself in arguably the biggest controversy of his NBA career following a physical altercation with teammate Jordan Poole. Leaked footage shows Green punching Poole during a practice session. The Warriors' All-Star forward spoke to reporters about the incident and apologized to Poole.
Draymond expressed his admiration for Poole during the conference, revealing that he supported the latter when he got sent to the G-League for a brief stint. Reflecting on the incident, Green had this stay about his equation with Poole (via Legion Hoops):
"It's a reason Jordan's locker is next to mine, from day one... I'm the guy that supported Jordan when he was sent to the G League and no one thought he had a chance... My love ain't going nowhere."
Draymond:
"It's a reason Jordan's locker is next to mine, from day one... I'm the guy that supported Jordan when he was sent to the G League and no one thought he had a chance... my love ain't going nowhere."
(h/t @TheWarriorsTalk) https://t.co/kJnbNGVs10
Draymond Green said he wanted to give Jordan Poole the space so he could work through his thoughts. Green was in the wrong to have physically attacked a teammate that too, a young player. The impact it may have had on Poole could have seen him take a while to go through his emotions and welcome Green back into his space.
Being one of the leaders on the team, Green was expected to conduct himself better, especially internally with his teammates. The former DPOY and the Warriors have mutually decided that he will be away from the team to recalibrate.
"I want to give Jordan [Poole] space. I think that's the most important thing initially is to allow Jordan to work through his thoughts, and not me try to persuade his thoughts one way or the other."
— Draymond Green
(via @ArmstrongWinter) https://t.co/Yv7bhh111w
Draymond Green assures impending contract extensions didn't have anything to do with altercation with Jordan Poole
Numerous reports stated that Draymond Green's beef with Jordan Poole started as they are both eligible for contract extensions. The latter could receive his extension first, with him being in the final year of his rookie deal. Poole could bag a four-year contract for around $150 million.
That hampers Green's chances of securing the five-year $166 million max deal he aims to secure. The Warriors have the highest payroll, and it won't be feasible for them to extend Green to a max contract, with Andrew Wiggins in the final year of his deal and eligible for an extension too.
However, Draymond Green shut down those rumors during his recent press conference. He said (via Slam):
"I can assure you I don't count other people's pockets. That's not something I will ever start doing. And the way I was raised, that is simply hating on another man's situation. That's something you just don't do... That had absolutely nothing to do with anything."
"I failed as a leader. I failed as a man."
Draymond Green speaks out about the incident this week. (via @anthonyVslater) https://t.co/Hdtp6DC10B
It will be interesting to see how the Golden State Warriors respond to this situation. They are hoping to win back-to-back titles, but with two crucial players like Draymond Green and Jordan Poole finding themselves in a situation like this, the Warriors could face issues as the season progresses.