After that viral moment, Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green once again spoke about the infamous 2022 training camp incident with former teammate Jordan Poole. A new wave of speculation surfaced this week after a viral social media post claimed to reveal what triggered the altercation.The post alleged that head coach Steve Kerr told Poole to “stand up for himself” after Green challenged him in practice. According to the story, Poole allegedly responded by calling Green an “you’re an expensive backpack for 30,” a reference to Stephen Curry. The rumor suggested that this remark directly provoked Green’s punch, which was later leaked on video. In response, Green completely dismissed the narrative by posting six cap emojis on Threads, indicating the claims were false.
Draymond calls cap on rumors about how things transpired leading up to his altercation with Jordan Poole. pic.twitter.com/Rcq6vP2uVj
https://twitter.com/TheWarriorsTalk/status/1960402606393844186
Later, Green expanded on his perspective and admitted that he is still learning from mistakes even at this stage of his career.
“Age 33, 34, 35, I still learn those lessons,” he said. “That situation happened, and I’m like, ‘cool, we move on.’ And then when we couldn’t, I was like, ‘huh.’ And for a while, it made me think like, ‘man, this dude’s nothing like me,’ because when those things happen, you just move on. But it taught me so much,” he added, according to (NSFW) interview, via ClutchPoints.
The consequences of the 2022 training camp incident were significant for the Warriors. Poole, who had just signed a four-year extension, struggled with consistency the following season.
He was eventually traded to the Washington Wizards in the summer of 2023. Green described that situation as one of the lowest points of his career.
Poole, for his part, has spoken very little about the punch. When asked about his relationship with Green after the Warriors’ playoff elimination in 2023, he simply said he had “no answer.” Although the two helped Golden State capture the 2022 NBA championship, their partnership ended less than a year later. The Warriors have since tried to move forward, leaning on Curry’s leadership while Green continues to serve as the team’s defensive anchor.
Even with the Warriors focused on future playoff runs, the incident remains a recurring topic whenever new details or rumors emerge. Green’s latest comments made clear that he rejects the viral story and views the altercation as a costly lesson in his career.
