Golden State Warriors basketball player Draymond Green spoke out for first the time on Saturday about his physical confrontation with teammate Jordan Poole.
A video showing the 32-year-old Green punching 23-year-old Poole during a practice session went viral on Friday after being released by TMZ, sparking a wave of controversy online and speculation about what could have sparked the incident. Speaking to assembled reporters on Saturday at a Bay Area press conference, Green did not go into detail about what led to the punch, saying only that “things that happened in practice should stay in practice.”
At the press event, Green confirmed that he had apologized to Poole and Poole’s family. The player further said that he didn’t speak out until now so that he would be able to address questions from the press. He also dispelled rumors that the altercation had anything to do with upcoming contract negotiations, saying that he has recently been dealing with personal issues that have affected his temper.
Green says he has apologized to Jordan Poole and Poole’s family.
“There’s a huge embarrassment that comes from (the video) not only for myself … but the embarrassment that Jordan has to deal with … and also Jordan’s family.”
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) October 8, 2022
“There’s a huge embarrassment that comes from [the video] not only for myself…but the embarrassment that Jordan has to deal with…and also Jordan’s family,” Green said, according to ESPN reporter Kendra Andrews. “I needed to have a better feel for myself and where my wicks end was.”
Green also announced that, in the wake of the incident, he will be stepping away from the Warriors to focus on his issues. No specific timeframe was given, but Andrews tweeted that it would be “for a few days.” The player estimated that he would be back in time for the Warrior’s season opener game on October 18.
Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images
While not attempting to downplay his mistake, Green said that, in his eyes, the video shared by TMZ Sports made the incident look worse than he remembered it, at least when he first watched it. He also admitted to being suspicious of the clip, due to the fact that no other videos from practice sessions make their way to the press.
“No other videos leak from practice,” Green said. “When we’re working on our sets, that don’t leak…But what I did was wrong, regardless of the video leaking.”
Newsweek reached out to the NBA for comment.
Also speaking on Saturday, Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said that fights like the one between Green and Poole have not been uncommon throughout his career, but have generally remained behind closed doors.
“It’s like if you had a camera in your family and there was a family dispute,” Kerr said, according to Andrews. “Would you really want to discuss it with the world? No. In 32 years, I’ve probably seen 20-plus fights. It should not make it out of our walls.”
