"Nothing is gonna get in the way of him getting his bag" - Former NBA Champion admires Jordan Poole's performance following altercation with Draymond Green
The Golden State Warriors have been embroiled in controversy after the altercation between Warriors teammates Draymond Green and Jordan Poole last week. Green has since taken some time away from the team to await his potential punishment. However, Poole has remained with the team during the preseason.
Many expected Poole’s play to be negatively affected by the situation. However, it has been the opposite. Poole dropped a team-high 25 points in his first game since the incident, gaining him the respect of former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins.
During an appearance on ESPN's “NBA Today," Perkins spoke about Poole’s mental toughness in the aftermath of his altercation with Green.
“When I look at Jordan Poole, I think Steve Kerr talked about his mental toughness, right? Think about it," Perkins said. "A lot of people would have been embarrassed, especially in the world that we live in as far as social media and people having access to be able to just 'at' you and mention you about this whole situation."
Perkins added that Poole’s response showed that Poole is focused on his upcoming contract extension.
“But for Jordan Poole, it told me one, he got his mind on his money, and rightfully so. Nothing is gonna get in the way of him getting his bag. And that’s the great thing. And I’m glad to see that he’s actually in a great space," Perkins said.
@KendrickPerkins admires Jordan Poole's on-court performance following his altercation with Draymond:
"He got his mind on his money and rightfully so. Nothing is gonna get in the way of him getting his bag." https://t.co/NTX6iw8MAC
Perkins later credited Warriors coach Steve Kerr and star Stephen Curry for how they handled the situation.
"But shoutout to Steve Kerr, shoutout to Steph Curry because you could kind of tell, just the energy, that they’re embracing him (Poole) right now," Perkins said. "And this is when they need him the most. Because obviously he didn’t do anything wrong, far as what we saw in the video.
"He was the victim in this case. But at the end of the day it just goes to show the leadership that’s still in that locker room even without Draymond Green."
Jordan Poole expected to sign contract extension in the next week
Following the Golden State Warriors' 124-21 preseason loss to the LA Lakers on Sunday, Steve Kerr spoke about Jordan Poole’s possible contract extension. Kerr hinted that it could happen soon.
"There’s a reason he’s in this position, about to sign a big extension hopefully," Kerr said. "He’s tough. Mentally tough and physically tough."
Steve Kerr on Jordan Poole: “There’s a reason he’s in this position, about to sign a big extension hopefully. He’s tough. Mentally tough and physically tough.” https://t.co/fpKOh4gdIm
Anthony Slater of The Athletic also echoed a similar sentiment on “The Athletic NBA Show.”
“I do expect a contract extension to happen in the next week," Slater said. "Maybe Jordan is waiting for that to finally speak to us about the entire saga that has been this entire 10-day period for him."
At this point, it’s still unclear exactly how much the deal will be worth. It looks like Jordan Poole’s contract extension will be announced any day now.