‘Humble’ Draymond Green admits the Jordan Poole altercation taught him how to be a better veteran
Warriors veteran Draymond Green opened up about the aftermath of infamous altercation with former teammate Jordan Poole.
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Draymond Green opens up about Jordan Poole incident's effect on leadership.
Draymond Green has been a cornerstone of the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty, playing a pivotal role in their 4 NBA championships. Apart from his all-time great defensive prowess and role as a floor general, Green’s on-court leadership has been a hallmark of his time with the Dubs. However, in a recent podcast, Green opened up on the aftermath of the infamous altercation with former teammate Jordan Poole.
The incident unfolded during a practice session, with Jordan Poole’s trash-talking triggering Draymond Green’s temper. What followed was a shocking punch that left Poole on the floor and the entire Warriors organization scrambling to address the fallout.
In a candid conversation on the Two Cents podcast, Green reflected on the episode, calling it one of his biggest failures as a veteran and a mentor.
One of my biggest failures as a vet was with what happened with Jordan Poole. And it took me to go through that failure with Jordan Poole, who was someone who came in and chose his locker to be next to me because he wanted to learn from me… That was one of my biggest failures. It taught me a ton, and it showed me how to be a better vet… But I had to go through that to learn.
Draymond Green said
Green elaborated on how the incident became a turning point in his approach to leadership. He went on to explain how his experience with Poole helped him grow as a mentor to younger players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Despite the personal growth Green claims to have achieved, the damage to his relationship with Poole and its impact on the Warriors’ season was undeniable.
Draymond Green admitted that his altercation with Jordan Poole was one of the biggest failures of his career. He expressed regret, saying he felt miserable for not being the veteran mentor Poole needed, especially since Poole looked up to him and wanted to learn from him. pic.twitter.com/cVl0b3p3EU
— NBA Beyond Court (@NBABeyondCourt) December 27, 2024
Following the incident with Jordan Poole, footage of Draymond Green striking Poole was leaked to the media, stirring up a firestorm within the organization. Eventually, the Warriors would end up parting ways with Poole in a trade that sent him to the Washington Wizards in 2023, choosing to stick to their veteran leader in Green to maintain locker-room harmony.
Jordan Poole stirs drama after liking post mocking Draymond Green
Over a year since the trade, tensions between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole continue to simmer, especially from the young Wizards star’s end. Recently, Poole liked an Instagram post mocking Green’s stat line during a 144-93 blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, where Green recorded an infamous 0-0-0 in 19 minutes of play.
Despite public efforts by both players to move past the incident, the gesture from Poole indicated unresolved tension at worst and general disdain for Draymond Green at best. In the meantime, while Green and the Warriors navigate around their own struggles, Jordan Poole has been thriving on a rebuilding Wizards squad.
On Thursday night, Poole led the Wizards in scoring once again against LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets en route to a 113-110 victory on the back of a game-winning three-point shot from Poole with just a few seconds left in the game. He finished the game with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
So far this season, Jordan Poole has averaged 21.3 points, 5.0 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 26 games while shooting 40.7% from three at high volume. Over his last five games, he has upped his performance a notch, averaging above 42% from three.
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Armaan Gupta
(292 Articles Published)