Draymond Green Explains How Punching Warriors Teammate Affected the Team

• Draymond Green has said punching Jordan Poole changed many things for him and Golden State Warriors
• A video of the incident was leaked and Green said it was intended to paint him in a certain light
• Both players said they put the incident behind them

Before the current NBA season kicked off, Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green stole the headlines after punching teammate Jordan Poole in practice.

The 32-year-old was initially sent home before returning to address the media the next day after video of the altercation leaked. He then took some time away from the team.

The Warriors were fresh from winning the 2022 NBA Finals, their fourth in eight years. The incident threatened to derail their season, which they started slowly.

However, both Green and Poole said the incident is behind them. Days after the exchange, Poole signed a guaranteed four-year, $123 million deal. Pole revealed that Green had apologized, per NBC Sports.

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Green thoughts on the aftermath

Green said that the video, which was leaked on social media was meant to paint him in a certain light, per SI.

"That video was put out there to portray me the exact way that it did. … This was meant to form an opinion about me and not give another side to it.”

The four-time NBA champion indicated that there was more to the story, but stated he did not want to disclose any extra information currently. He said the relationship with Green changed.

“Is it different, 100% and not that I expected it to be the same...I will always be willing to do that work because I was wrong. … I think it has been close to the way that I thought it would go. … I see improvements."

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The Warriors have had an up-and-down season and are 6th in the Western Conference with a 21-21 record.

Green has a player option for the 2023/24 season worth $27.5 million to remain with the team that drafted him. Still, he can also decline the player option and become an unrestricted free agent.

Green on racist abuse

Sports Brief earlier reported on Green revealing he received racist abuse in the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.

Green had a back-and-forth with the passionate Celtics fans in the pulsating series. He had the last laugh though as the Warriors clinched the title at TD Garden in Game 6.

Green said that he was shocked to hear racial slurs from the Celtics crowd, and to make it worse he heard them while playing on the court.