After winning their fourth championship in eight years, the Golden State Warriors were confident in running it back for a shot at another. The Warriors ultimately lost in the second round the following year, and rising star Jordan Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for veteran point guard Chris Paul.
The CP3 experiment did not work out in Golden State, and many were upset that the franchise decided to trade away a young Poole for an aging Paul.
Most fans point to one event that likely altered Poole’s future as a Warrior and destroyed the locker room: Draymond Green punching Poole in training camp.
Draymond’s punch on Jordan Poole pic.twitter.com/lsvlCUwZcC
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 7, 2022
The Warriors and Wizards met on Saturday for Poole’s second game back to Golden State and tensions were certainly high. Poole dropped 38 points in a losing effort, but things got more interesting postgame.
Poole emphasized that he likes “most” of his former Warriors teammates, to which Green responded on X, “I really am sorry.”
Now, a few days after the odd exchange, Green finally speaks on it and seems very tired of talking about the punch.
“I responded because it’s been three years, let’s move on,” Green said. “It was kind of like it was looking for some sympathy. Keep wanting to make me out to be the bad guy. Move on, bro. It is what it is. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have punched him. But it happened, so let’s move on. I even apologized to his parents.”
📹@Money23Green explains apology to Jordan Poole pic.twitter.com/c1ncbN1v1W
— The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis (@DraymondShow) January 22, 2025
While Green seemed apologetic, he is not afraid to blame Poole for his part in the exchange either.
“I’ll be kind of in between on certain days,” Green said. “I know I was wrong, but you can’t call a man a b-word and push him and not get hit either.”
Green admits he was in the wrong for the punch, but certainly blames Poole for his part in the build up. That one moment destroyed Poole’s future as a Warrior, hurting Golden State’s young core, and now Green and Poole continue to take small jabs at each other.
