Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla stirred up controversy recently with comments on the lack of physicality in the NBA, and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has since weighed in.
“The biggest thing that we rob people of from an entertainment standpoint is you can’t fight anymore,” Mazzulla said on the Zolak & Bertrand show. “I wish we’d bring back fighting. How come in baseball they’re allowed to clear the benches? How come in hockey they’re allowed to fight? I don’t understand.”
Green responded to Mazzulla’s comments on The Draymond Show, making it clear that he disagrees with the Celtics coach. “I get what Joe is trying to get at,” Green said. “The s— talking and guys getting testy, we take so much of that out of the game today… Actual physical fights, Joe – I’m here to petition against you.”
Green also reflected on the personal consequences that fights can have, referencing his own high-profile clash with former teammate Jordan Poole. “Where [fighting] almost led me, I don’t want none of that,” Green said. “I’m gonna leave that to Joe. Joe, you go and fight.”
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 and the Jordan Poole incident
Ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season, Draymond Green and then-Warriors teammate Jordan Poole were involved in a widely publicized altercation during practice.
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Green struck Poole, an incident that shook the Warriors’ locker room and had repercussions on team chemistry throughout the season. The event, which was caught on video and quickly went viral, contributed to Poole’s eventual trade to the Washington Wizards.
Green gets candid about the fallout
In a recent conversation with Andscape, Green opened up about the lasting effects of the incident with Poole and why he chose to keep his distance afterward. “A couple years ago, man, I really distanced myself,” Green shared.
“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.”
