"I've seen all kinds of crazy stuff... So that needs to be cleaned up" - Steve Kerr emphasizes keeping "things in-house" as he reacts to Draymond Green-Jordan Poole incident
Following the video leak which exacerbated the Draymond Green-Jordan Poole debacle, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed the media and shared his thoughts on how the reigning champions were dealing with the issue and about the sanctity of the information that was leaked.
Kerr stated:
"Everything is internal, we've had those discussions with individuals with the team, and those discussions will stay private, as long as nobody leaks those conversations."
"I've been in this league for 30+ years. I've seen all kinds of crazy stuff... For whatever reason we've had leaks in this organization. This is not the first time. So that needs to be cleaned up."
— Steve Kerr
(via @anthonyVslater)
https://t.co/e9ywBwpSUH
The incident first came to light after Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic put out an article that stated that Draymond Green had "forcefully struck" Jordan Poole.
Later, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, in his article, noted that Draymond Green had in fact thrown a punch at Poole, something that was taken with a grain of salt at the time.
That was until TMZ, a tabloid website, leaked the official video from GSW's practice, which showed Draymond Green menacingly striking Poole and Poole falling to the ground.
Kerr also remarked on the importance of privacy in such situations, and that this wasn't necessarily the first time he'd seen something like this:
"This is why it's so crucial to keep things in-house. "I've been in this league for 30-plus years, seen all kinds of crazy stuff. When things are kept internal, it's really almost easy to handle.
"It's just so much cleaner and smoother and you can move forward. "
Following the leak, opinions poured in from everywhere. From current to former players, from media personnel to fans, everyone chimed in on how this would affect the Warriors and how it might stymie their championship hopes in the coming seasons.
Kerr continued:
"(It) Puts us in a very difficult spot. ... For whatever reason, we've had leaks in this organisation, this is not the first time, so that needs to be cleaned up, that's a big part of the issue."
Jonathan Kuminga to start against the Lakers on Sunday amidst Draymond Green fiasco
Steve Kerr confirmed in the same press conference that Jonathan Kuminga would be starting in the Dubs' first preseason game in the United States against the LA Lakers on Sunday.
Jonathan Kuminga will start in Draymond Green’s place tomorrow against the Lakers. Steve Kerr said he told Kuminga yesterday’s scrimmage was the best he’d ever looked.
Kerr also had high praise for Kuminga, stating that he had told Kuminga in their most recent scrimmage that this was the best he had ever looked. Jonathan Kuminga was the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
Prior to the NBA, Kuminga spent time in the NBA G League ignite, despite offers from Duke, Texas Tech and Kentucky. He averaged 15.8 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game and 2.7 assists per game in his one year in the G League.
In his NBA career, Kuminga has played 70 games, of which he has started in 12. He has averaged 9.3/3.3/0.9 in 16.9 minutes per game during the 2021-22 season.