In the lead-up to the 2022-2023 NBA season, Draymond Green and Jordan Poole were involved in a heated confrontation during practice, where Green struck Poole, an incident that reverberated throughout the Golden State Warriors’ organization and impacted team chemistry for the rest of the season.
At the time, Poole was 25 while Green was in his 30s. The footage of the altercation went viral, casting a cloud over the Warriors’ season and leading to Poole’s eventual trade to the Washington Wizards.
In a recent interview with Andscape, Green opened up about the personal toll the incident took on him and why he chose to keep his distance afterward. “A couple years ago, man, I really distanced myself,” Green admitted.
“And I had to. I needed to. When that incident happened [with Poole], I just really needed to,” he continued. “So, I really distanced myself. And in doing that, you miss a lot. But once you do that, it’s hard to come back.”
Draymond Green #23 and Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors walk to the bench during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns. Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Green added, “it just becomes a mindset and it becomes everybody else’s mindset, right? ‘Oh, we’re going to see him here but probably not there.’ And I missed that s—, man. That’s always what kept me going.”
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Green opens up about Klay Thompson’s departure
As the Warriors embark on a new era without Klay Thompson, who left after 13 seasons and four championships to sign with the Dallas Mavericks, Green reflected on his former teammate’s decision to move on.
“I think he needed something new. All good things must come to an end,” Green told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke on the “Dubs Talk” podcast. “And unfortunately, his ended earlier than any of us wanted.”
“I think he needed a different challenge for himself. Sometimes, you need a change of scenery,” Green continued. “Sometimes, that thing can’t push you to be as great as you want. Klay has experienced such a high level of success here that we can all have a sense of entitlement.”
