He vehemently disagreed with JT Orr’s officiating on inbounds plays, and described Orr’s decision to give Green a technical foul with 8:44 left in the second quarter as insulting for reasons that went beyond basketball.
“I find it very ironic that I got a technical foul for telling a Caucasian referee not to put his hand in my face,” Green said. “As a Black man in America, don’t put your hand in my face. I said “Hey, don’t put your hand in my face” and I got a tech, so I thought that was the most interesting part of the night.”
Green and Orr had engaged in a minutes-long dialogue throughout the quarter, and Green continued the conversation even as Orr went to the scorers’ table to begin a replay review on a missed Pistons foul on Green.
“Draymond, this is your chance to stop talking to me,” is what Green recalled Orr telling him, with Green responding, “Bro, don’t put your hand in my face.”
The NBA did not respond immediately to a request for comment by the Bay Area News Group.
“Everybody wants to talk about holding the line of respect, but that line needs to be held both ways,” Green said. “If the line won’t be held both ways, it won’t be held from my way, because we’re all men and we can all make decisions and choices. So let that be the last time that happens.”
One point of contention between Green and Orr was how the official allowed Piston Ausar Thompson to handle the ball after made Detroit baskets.
“He told me that Ausar Thompson can hold the ball, and look to see who to give the ball to after a made basket, and he said that’s not a delay of game,” Green claimed, noting that the decision allowed Detroit to slow down Golden State’s ability to get the ball inbounds quickly.
Green also said that Steph Curry, who left the game in th third quarter with a sore knee, was called for a delay of game for doing exactly what Thompson did.
When Green brought up the difference in how the same situation was officiated, he said Orr had a sheepish response.
“Same referee though, JT Orr. then, he’s like ‘Oh maybe you have a point,’” Green said. “No (expletive), you can’t change the rules in the middle of the game.”
The Warriors will play their next game at home on Tuesday against Philadelphia.
INGLEWOOD – Steve Kerr had finally had enough. After watching Steph Curry’s shot not count as an and-1, and then Gary Payton II’s blocked layup by John Collins not ruled as a goaltend early in the fourth quarter, the longtime Warriors coach lost it once there was a stoppage on a Curry foul.
He berated the referees to such a degree that the usually mild-mannered coach had to be restrained by members of his staff at Intuit Dome on Monday. The officials gave him technical fouls in rapid succession, and Kerr had to make the long walk back to the locker room with 7:57 left in the game after being ejected for the fifth time in his career, and first time since Mar. 28, 2022.
Terry Stotts, who coached Portland for nine seasons between 2012-21, took over as the Warriors’ acting coach. He oversaw a spirited effort that ultimately fell short as the Warriors lost 103-102 to a Clippers team missing James Harden.
Golden State shot just 3 of 24 in the third quarter, but somehow remained in the game, thanks to 10-2 run to start the fourth, a run fueled by the energy of Payton and Gui Santos. And after Kerr’s ejection, the Warriors remained competitive and trailed 94-90 with 3:06 left after Jimmy Butler made two free throws.
Curry cut the lead to just 101-100 with 1:05 left after his 3-pointer bounced off the rim and in, but he fouled out when he swiped down on Kris Dunn’s arm on the very next possession. Dunn’s two free throws extended the lead back to three points with 43 seconds remaining. Green’s layup made it 103-102 with 33 seconds left on the clock.
Kawhi Leonard missed a long 3-pointer, and the Warriors had the ball with seven seconds remaining. However, Butler’s fadeaway from the baseline went long and the Clippers held on.
Curry put up 27 points for the Warriors, while Butler scored 24 and Draymond Green dished out 12 assists. Leonard put up 24 points, and Kobe Sanders had 20 points. The Warriors actually had fewer turnovers than the point guard-less Clippers, winning the margin 20-7.
The hosts led 31-19 after one quarter, but the Warriors cut the deficit to just 55-51 at halftime. This came despite Golden State being a ghastly 5 of 22 from behind the arc. The team finished 10 of 41 from behind the line.
The Warriors (19-18) begin an eight-game homestand against Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Draymond Green’s rough night
Having been ejected from Monday’s game and having not finished three of the past eight games, Draymond Green was under a microscope Wednesday night.
After diving into the Warriors bench late in the second quarter, a crash that left his ribs bruised, he left the game but returned after halftime. That lasted all of two minutes, with Green leaving the game again after rolling his left ankle after defending a Leonard drive. He returned after the timeout.
Green drew a few groans from the mostly pro-Warriors crowd in SoCal when he took and missed a 3-pointer on three of the first four Golden State possessions, but he was an overwhelming positive overall.
Green finished the first half with a plus-11 in the box score, after being in the negative in 9 of his last 11 games. Despite giving up at least five inches and around 50 pounds to Ivica Zubac, Green used his low center of gravity to make it difficult for the Croatian center to get good position.
Stopping Kawhi
Leonard, who entered the game with arguably the hottest hand in the NBA. He won the conference player of the week honor after averaging 41.3 points per game last week, which he supplemented by maintaining his NBA-best 2.17 steals per game.
The Warriors initially began the game in single coverage against the two-time Finals MVP, which led to him scoring 10 first-quarter points. But when they began to send doubles his way, usually asking a guard to dig down, that left Nic Batum open for back-to-back corner 3-pointers.
The only consistently positive outcomes for Warrior defenders came when they forced the midrange assassin to take a few steps back. Leonard was 0 of 6 from behind the arc in the first half. Leonard took only one 3-point shot in the second half.
Snoop Dogg stars
Legendary rapper Snoop Dogg made his broadcasting debut when he joined the NBA on NBC television production as a commentator. The Long Beach native has plenty of fans among the Warriors, including Kerr and Moses Moody.
Kerr joked about Snoop’s presence around the Olympic team in 2024 and said he looked forward to his pre-production meeting with the man. Moody, who counted “Gin and Juice” as his favorite Snoop track, saw the rapper’s presence at the regular-season NBA game as a positive.
“I really like the niche that he’s carved out for himself now in the business space,” Moody said. “I like what he adds, and it’s cool to see it on the NBA stage.”
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green called Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott a “bum” on his “Why Is Draymond Green Talking About Football?” podcast.
“Dak’s a bum. … He getting some numbers, and they stink,” Green said. “… They’ll never win with Dak. … I won four championships … so you gotta understand when I say bum, I’m not saying Dak Prescott isn’t a good NFL quarterback. … But I’m saying when the money’s on the line, when it’s for all the marbles, who are you? He a bum. … What has he done in those moments?”
Former Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Marcus Spears hit back at Green on ESPN, reminding him that he was lucky enough to play with NBA superstars Steph Curry and Kevin Durant to help earn his four championships with Golden State.
“It’s just the respect of calling a dude a bum that has played football at the level at which he’s played. If you’re just attributing it to the playoffs, being a bum is kinda crazy, that’s kinda crazy to say,” Spears said. “And it’s a bit rich coming from Draymond Green, who’s played with arguably a top-five player to ever play in the NBA, to come out and say that like he’s been the catalyst. He’s been very important. He’s been a big part of what they’ve done championship-wise, not taking that away from him, but Dak Prescott would be the Steph Curry to the team.”
Spears also pointed out the differences between competing for championships in the NBA and NFL and how it might not always be the quarterback’s faults for his team’s postseason failures.
Lawrence Dow is a digital sports reporter from Philadelphia. He graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from USC. He’s passionate about movies and is always looking for a great book. He covers the Texas Rangers and other sports. Support my work with a digital subscription
Jared Dudley’s second career had already started before his first one was over. He just needed time to realize it.
Winning a championship with LeBron James helped him get there. By then, Dudley had been bouncing around the NBA for more than a dozen years. The LeBron- and Anthony Davis-led Lakers were his seventh team. “When you can sit in a room and watch film with LeBron, AD and (Rajon) Rondo and call them out,” he says, “it’s something that very few coaches have the guts to be able to do, the credibility.”
Dudley felt perfectly comfortable doing that. Enough to begin to recognize a knack for leadership that could serve him beyond his playing years, which were numbered anyway. “It’s like I’d been coaching my last four or five years in the NBA,” he realized.
In 2021, he was planning to prolong his time on the Lakers’ roster as a veteran bench presence — he and James had developed a close friendship — but a new opportunity beckoned. Former Lakers assistant Jason Kidd took over as head coach of the Mavericks, and he had a staff opening ready for Dudley.
The beloved longtime role player took the leap directly into coaching. Four years later, he’s ascending the ranks. Nuggets coach David Adelman kicked off his regime this summer by hiring Dudley to oversee Denver’s defense, which ranked 21st in the league last season.
“Word of mouth,” Adelman said. “A lot of people told me great things about him, and in this league, sometimes it’s not who you know; it’s what you hear from other people you respect and trust.”
A coaching lifer, Adelman wanted to make sure he built a staff that included former players to introduce a healthy range of perspectives. In the 40-year-old Dudley, he landed someone who brought not just schematic creativity, which has already been on display early this season, but a candid demeanor and clear understanding of NBA locker room dynamics.
“Just because you were a player doesn’t mean you can relate,” Dudley told The Denver Post in an interview this week. “It takes all those different experiences on my journey as a player to be able to know how to talk to them, when to talk to them, when to come at Jamal (Murray), when to come at (Nikola) Jokic, when to call other players out.
“… That’s what I’m trying to do (for) a team that struggled on defense but has a historically good offense. Make this team above-average defensively to give us a chance to win a championship.”
Dudley didn’t always have the “guts” to speak up as audaciously as he did late in his playing career. But that’s how it should be, he thinks. Confidence and privilege come with age in a league where status matters. When Dudley was young, observing and adapting meant survival.
“My mom always taught me a good player is one that listens. So I never had a problem,” he said. “Steve Nash told me one time, ‘When I pass you the ball, I’m passing you the ball with an advantage. So if you don’t have an advantage, pass me the ball back.’ When he says that, OK, I remember that. I believe in a hierarchy where there’s different levels, and superstars get different treatment and can say different things. I believe in that.”
Few people in the league today have worked alongside as many superstars as Dudley. He was traded to Phoenix in 2008 as a second-year bench player, teaming up with Steve Nash, Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal. He played with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin on the Lob City Clippers, then with a young Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, John Wall in Washington, Devin Booker in Phoenix, LeBron and AD in Los Angeles. He coached Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson and Kyrie Irving in Dallas.
He tried to absorb something from each experience. Nash’s instructions on what to do with the ball as a role player were a north star. Dudley also partially attributes the length of his career (14 years) to lessons learned from Nash about taking care of his body — “all the stuff he did pre and postgame: IVs, acupuncture, working on your core.” O’Neal taught him in those early years how to balance seriousness and light-heartedness.
Jared Dudley (3) and Steve Nash (13) of the Phoenix Suns during Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2010 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at US Airways Center on May 5, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Dudley built a reputation with his IQ despite his awkward body type. He played a bit of power forward at Boston College, was drafted as a small forward, then he transformed himself into a starting two-guard with the Suns. He monitored league trends, such as the emergence of Draymond Green and downsized lineups. In Milwaukee, he asked to play the four after Jabari Parker tore an ACL. “I saw the defenses weren’t evolving fast enough for the small-ball four,” Dudley recalled. “I got ahead of it. … You have to evolve — 90% of the league is role players.”
That’s the ethos he’s trying to bring to the Nuggets, a team with a similarly heady identity. Aaron Gordon, in particular, outfitted his game to complement Jokic in 2021 when he was traded to Denver — a reinvention that echoes how Dudley changed his game to function with an all-time great passer in Phoenix.
When Dudley traveled to Denver for his interview in July, he arrived with a film project, exploring zone options and how the staff could limit Jokic’s defensive workload this season. “Even though it might be word-of-mouth,” he said, “you’ve still gotta impress.” He and Adelman had dinner together for more than four hours, talking scheme for about 35% of it (in Dudley’s estimation) and life for the other 65%. Adelman didn’t need much time to deliberate.
Dudley’s family is staying in Dallas this school year, with plans to join him in Denver before his second season. He’s been keeping up with his daughter’s high school volleyball games via live stream on Tuesday and Thursday nights when the Nuggets don’t play. Most of his time right now is spent working, though. “Next year it’ll be a little bit of a smoother and easier transition,” he said. “This gives me a little bit more time to focus, lock in and do the job that needs to be done.”
His defining principle as a defensive coordinator is directly related to his point of view on NBA superstardom: “Coming up with a defense that protects Jokic.”
In the Nuggets’ old system, the MVP center almost always played an aggressive position higher up the floor. Dudley doesn’t want him burning so much energy defensively. He would rather Denver’s guards and wings have more difficult and taxing responsibilities at that end, so Jokic’s battery can be maximized on offense.
“I can’t teach (him) anything offensively. You’re already this. You’ve got that,” Dudley said. “But defensively, I can teach you. I’ve played with different centers. I’ve played with Boban (Marjanovic), who’s bigger than you and slower than you. … I only want him to think about going back to the rim, Point A to Point B. I don’t want him having him to go guard these guards on the wings, in rotations.”
That means more zone, more man-to-man disguised as zone, more drop coverage against pick-and-rolls, more cross-matching. “There’s nothing that I won’t try,” Dudley said. Still, he is trying to hold Jokic to a certain standard. He’s been sending the big man YouTube clips representing areas of potential improvement, mostly involving Jokic’s communication.
“I need him to be louder on the court,” Dudley said. “Kind of like Kevin Garnett, so it makes bad on-ball defenders a little bit better and more confident. … He’s by far the most humble and respectful superstar that I’ve had, in that when I text him, he texts right back.”
Jokic has been game for the fresh ideas, and he seemingly appreciates Dudley’s willingness to hold him accountable.
That takes guts.
“I think when he’s speaking,” Jokic said, “everybody listens. It’s a good addition to our team.”
Deni Avdija had 26 points and six assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Golden State Warriors 139-119 on Friday night in Tiago Splitter’s first game as interim head coach.
Splitter is stepping in after coach Chauncey Billups was arrested by the FBI early Thursday and arraigned in federal court later that day.
Splitter told reporters before the game he wanted to keep his team focused on basketball.
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives with the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second quarter at Moda Center on October 24, 2025 in Portland, Oregon.
Tom Hauck / Getty Images
Jerami Grant scored 22 points, Toumani Camara had 19, and Shaedon Sharpe added 17. Donovan Clingan had 14 points, Kris Murray scored 13, Jrue Holiday added 12 points and 11 assists, and Matisse Thybulle had 10 points.
Stephen Curry scored 35 points for the Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga had 16 points, Jimmy Butler 14 and Draymond Green 12.
Both teams shot well from the 3-point line with Portland making 47% (16 for 34) and Golden State 42% (16 for 38). However, the Trail Blazers outscored the Warriors 66-30 in the paint.
The Warriors started the game on a 12-4 run but Portland rallied to it at 17. A personal 8-0 run by Curry put the Warriors up 25-17. Portland rallied to tie the score at 28 by the end of the first quarter.
Portland continued their strong play in the second. Avdija scored 20 points in the first half while Grant pitched in 17. Portland outscored Golden State 41-28 in the second quarter to take a 13-point lead into halftime.
With 7:50 left in the third quarter, Curry converted a four-point play to cut Portland’s lead to 81-72 but the Warriors held on and led by as many as 25.
Golden State pulled Curry from the game with 9:35 left and trailing 115-97.
Golden State hosts Memphis on Monday night.
Portland visits the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
SAN FRANCISCO — Aaron Gordon gets hyphy when he’s near his hometown.
His string of exceptional scoring performances at Golden State might seem to defy explanation, but it turns out there is one. Home is where the heart is, or in Gordon’s case, where the ear is.
“Man, the DJ was playing slaps, you know what I mean?” the Nuggets forward said after Denver’s season-opening overtime loss on Thursday. “So I’m vibing the whole game. He’s playing the straight Bay that I grew up with. Just like hyphy music, you know what I mean?”
He’s talking about Oakland-style hip-hop, the frenetic subgenre that emerged in the ’90s and spread across the Bay Area as he was growing up in San Jose in the early aughts. Give Gordon the soundtrack of his youth, and he’ll give you a memorable game.
Fifty was not enough on Thursday night, and that will haunt the Nuggets, even if it was only the first game of the season. It will haunt them in annoyingly sentimental and emotional ways more than it will in the standings, at least for now.
Warriors 137, Nuggets 131 in an overtime opener for the ages.
“I feel awful for Aaron,” coach David Adelman said unprompted. “Aaron had a night that I’ll never forget. I know that he won’t.”
Gordon shone brightest, but Steph Curry got the last laugh in a city that he wields so effortlessly in the palm of his hand, even at 37 years old. His effect on the Bay Area is as timeless as hyphy’s spell on Gordon. When he stepped to the foul line late in regulation for three free throws, he first paused, took notice of a momentary lull and calmly implored Chase Center to get noisier. They couldn’t jump to their feet fast enough.
“He doesn’t need a lot,” Nikola Jokic said. “He just needs to see one ball go in.”
That was the second-most striking crowd reaction of the night, outdone only by the authentic joy when Gordon missed his first 3-pointer. It happened late in the third quarter, on Gordon’s ninth try. He seemed invincible up to that point, and afterward, too. The final stat line: 50 points and eight rebounds on 17-of-21 shooting, including 10 of 11 outside the arc.
“Whoever scores 10 threes in a game,” Jokic said, “it’s easy to play with that person.”
Even after he cashed in a few, the Warriors relentlessly made head-scratching defensive decisions — going under a ball screen, not picking Gordon up in transition as he brought the ball up, selling out to take away the paint from him off-ball instead of the 3-point line, as Draymond Green did with 25 seconds left in regulation.
Gordon’s 10th triple should have been the game-winner.
But…
“He hit a super-tough shot to send it to OT,” Gordon said. “That’s Steph being Steph.”
From 34 feet deep, Curry pulled up and stole Gordon’s moment. The Nuggets were helpless to stop it. They showed him bodies and ran him off the 3-point line effectively early in the game, but steadily, he turned Christian Braun’s sneakers into ice-skates, predicted the beats and rhythms of Jokic’s double-teams, and found the angles that transferred control back to him. He scored 35 of his 42 points after halftime.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors does his “night night” celebration after Jimmy Butler III #10 made a three-point basket against the Denver Nuggets in overtime at Chase Center on Oct. 23, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The Nuggets didn’t defend well enough. They relinquished a 14-point lead.
“A few times, we didn’t send him in the direction of the defense,” Adelman said. “If he gets the other way, there’s no one on the other side of that pick. … The shot he made to tie, it’s a shot that only he can make. But obviously you have to be up (the floor) more.”
Denver still had a chance to win on the last possession of regulation. The Warriors had offense-based personnel on the floor from the previous sequence. But Adelman was OK using a timeout and allowing them to substitute if it meant getting organized on the pick-and-roll setup and making sure his players didn’t rush to shoot before the buzzer. They produced a quality shot out of that timeout, but Jokic missed from floater range.
This was a night when plenty of components weren’t good enough around Gordon. Braun struggled at both ends. Cam Johnson was cold from 3-point range and had a minus-17 in his Nuggets debut. The defense was often tangled or disorganized getting back in transition. But Jokic’s individual inefficiency stood out. In one of the lesser triple-doubles of his career, he missed 13 of his last 16 field goal attempts. He was 0 for 4 in the last two minutes of overtime. He was 2 for 13 from three. It was a sobering inversion of Gordon’s hyphy night.
Asked if he could’ve done more to establish an interior presence in lieu of those 3s, though, Jokic played a bit of defense.
“I think I need to mix it up, (but) I’m happy with the 3-point (looks),” he said. “I think I was open. Most of them seemed like they were going in, but they didn’t. So I mean, I’m happy with the shots.”
Just not the results — a beloved teammate’s career night wasted, a homecoming squandered.
“It sucks,” Gordon admitted. “They’re asking if I wanted the game ball. And no, I don’t want the game ball to take an L home with me. No, thank you. So it sucks. But it’s one game. It’s our first game. That’s a good team. It’s a really good team. It’s hard to win on the road. You’ve gotta execute offensively and defensively down the stretch. So we’re gonna reconvene, watch the film, go back home and try to play better in our home opener.”
Stephen Curry & Draymond Green – Source: Mike Ehrmann / Getty
Stephen Curry found himself fighting for his life once again after Draymond Green was ejected just four minutes into the Warriors game against Orlando.
However, according to ESPN, last night Steph Curry was left on his own after Draymond Was ejected four minutes into the first quarter.
This isn’t the first time Draymond has been ejected but this time Steph couldn’t hold back his emotions and appeared to be in tears. The energy from the team was different from all sides this time around.
Despite defeating the Orland Magic 101-93 Curry used his press conference to address the situation and sounded defeated.
“We need him. He knows that. We all know that,” Curry said of Green. “So whatever we need to do to keep him on the floor and be available, that’s what’s got to happen. Especially at this point in the year. It was a tough way to start the game.”
Steph wasn’t the only one disappointed in Draymond’s actions on the court. In the post-game press conference, Steve Kerr didn’t defend Draymond and admitted he deserved the ejection.
Draymond Green – Source: Christian Petersen / Getty
The NBA has suspended Draymond Green indefinitely after his latest on-court fiasco with Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic.
Draymond Green is one of the staples of the Golden State Warriors franchise. Also, he brings the most drama and shame to the franchise as well. Green plays a very old-school type of basketball that involves throwing elbows like it’s a Lil Jon music video. On Tuesday, December 12, Draymond once again was ejected for the 18th time in his career the AP reports.
This stemmed from him busting Suns center Jusuf Turkic upside the head and receiving a Flagrant 2 foul. After a string of concerning behavior on the court, the NBA has announced it is suspending green indefinitely.
NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2023 – Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. This outcome takes into account Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts. The incident occurred with 8:23 remaining in the third quarter of the Warriors’ 119-116 loss
to the Suns on Dec. 12 at Footprint Center. Green received a Flagrant Foul 2 and was ejected. Green’s suspension will begin immediately. He will be required to meet certain league and team conditions before he returns to play.
Furthermore, we all saw this coming sooner or later regardless if his latest incident was intentional or not. Hopefully whatever punishment he receives will help him find the root cause of his frustrations and violent tendencies.
So when he took a foot to the groin from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen as they both went for a rebound, Green’s crumpling to the hardwood in pain didn’t necessarily elicit sympathy from every viewer.
Golden State’s Draymond Green stepping on the chest of Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis was an action the league considered excessive, dangerous and worthy of suspension, NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars said Wednesday.
Dumars — whose job duties include being one of the NBA’s major decision-makers for player discipline matters — shed light on what went into the decision to suspend Green for a playoff game, and why Sabonis’ actions didn’t merit further sanctioning.
“This was not some snap-of-the-finger decision to do this,” Dumars said in an interview with The Associated Press. “There was much discussion, and back and forth, looking at the play itself over and over. And then ultimately we came to the decision that the act itself, and repeat offenses, actually did warrant a suspension.”
The incident with Sabonis and Green came midway through the fourth quarter of the Sacramento-Golden State game on Monday night. Sabonis grabbed at Green’s ankle and Green wound up stepping — some would describe it as stomping — on Sabonis’ chest.
Sabonis got a technical, Green was ejected, the Warriors lost to fall into a 2-0 series hole and then the NBA decided Green needed to sit out a full game as well.
“It wasn’t like it went completely unpunished,” Dumars said of Sabonis’ role. “We didn’t think it rose to the level of Draymond’s play — excessive, over-the-top, dangerous, repeat offender. That’s the separation between what he did and what Draymond did.”
The Warriors, predictably, were not pleased with the NBA’s ruling.
“In their defense, what do they care what I have to say? I mean, they know what I’m going to say,” general manager Bob Myers said Wednesday, while Golden State gathered for practice. “They don’t need me to make the decision.
“As far as how we felt, you know, we’ve been here before and we’ve got to play a game tomorrow night. Once these decisions are made, there’s no appellate court. It’s over. So you can react however you want to react, but it doesn’t change the fact he’s not playing and we’ve got a game tomorrow night.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr offered a similar assessment as Myers, though noted that he was “extremely surprised” that Green got suspended.
“There’s no time to spend worrying about it or thinking about it or complaining about it. Doesn’t matter,” Kerr said. “We know what the league decided to do and we have to respond accordingly and go out there and go win the game.”
Green has been suspended in the playoffs before, missing Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals because of an accumulation of flagrant-foul points during that postseason. He went over the limit after what the NBA called at the time a “retaliatory swipe of his hand to the groin” of LeBron James. Cleveland won Game 5, then prevailed in Games 6 and 7 to capture the title.
It’s also Green’s second suspension this season. He had to miss a game in March after his 16th technical of the season. And in the preseason, he also caused the Warriors major headaches by punching teammate Jordan Poole in practice. He was also fined $25,000 earlier this season for an incident where the league found he directed obscene language toward a fan.
Green spent several moments gesturing at and yelling to the crowd, which included NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, after the play Monday night. Dumars said those antics were yet another factor.
“The stuff that happened afterward, that doesn’t help the situation,” Dumars said. “But if it was just that alone, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I focused on the act itself, and the fact that it’s a repeat offense, those were the two main things.”
Kerr acknowledged that Green “has crossed the line” at times over the years — but insisted that he has enormous value to the Warriors.
“Draymond is incredibly competitive and passionate and fiery,” Kerr said. “He’s helped us win four championships. I’ve said many times, we don’t have a single championship here without Draymond Green. That’s the truth.”
Dumars and Green have been close for years. That didn’t make this chapter any easier for Dumars.
On the night Green was drafted, he got a phone call as he slipped into the second round. The caller was Dumars, then the president of the Detroit Pistons, who checked in to show support and tell him to remain calm.
“When I took this job I knew these type of situations would arise, not just with Draymond but also other guys I worked with and players and a lot of people across the league that I have personal relationships with,” Dumars said. “I think each one of them knows Joe D. has a job to do. You have to be objective in this seat, and people have to know I’m going to call balls and strikes, going to call it like I see it. You have to be honest in this seat. You have to do it the right way.”
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — With star teammate Stephen Curry sidelined, Klay Thompson kept shooting and took care of the offensive load the Golden State Warriors were missing without their reigning NBA Finals MVP.
Thompson scored 42 points with a season-high 12 3-pointers, Jordan Poole added 21 points and career-best 12 assists starting in Curry’s place, and the Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 141-114 on Monday night.
“It was a beautiful game to watch him play,” Draymond Green said of Thompson.
“… We needed it. It’s been a while since we had a blowout win. It’s good to get this one, especially first game with Steph out. It was good to start off on this foot and try to create some momentum.”
Thompson sat down for the night to a roaring ovation with 4:41 left to finish 15 for 22 from the floor and 12 of 16 on 3s. Thompson now has eight games with 10 or more 3-pointers, second in NBA history behind Splash Brother Curry’s 22.
“This is a confidence booster for sure to play without him, but to see the performance of the team, amazing individual performances we got,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It was a feel-good game for a lot of people and that just really fuels everybody. Hopefully we can keep that going.”
Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points in Golden State’s first game since losing Curry to a left leg injury late in the third quarter of Saturday’s win against Dallas — and the Warriors went 26 of 50 from deep without the league’s career 3-point leader.
They also didn’t let down late as has been a concern and frustration recently for Kerr.
“That was fun, that was probably the most fun I’ve had watching our team all year,” Kerr said.
Thompson had 27 points at halftime, going 10 of 14 from the floor and 7 for 9 on 3-pointers as the Warriors led 60-53. Poole dished out five assists in the opening quarter, then helped Golden State start the third on a 19-7 burst to pull away for their eighth straight win in the series.
“I thought Jordan was magnificent, one of the best games I’ve ever seen him play. He just was so under control,” Kerr said.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points, Aaron Wiggins added 19 and Tre Mann had 18 off the bench for the Thunder. Josh Giddey contributed 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as Oklahoma City struggled in the opener of a road back-to-back coming off a franchise-record 153 points in Saturday’s home win over Houston.
TIP-INS
Thunder: G Lu Dort sat out again after he missed Saturday’s game with a strained right hamstring. … The Thunder were outrebounded 45-36. … Oklahoma City dropped to 9-17 on the road, 3-10 vs. the West. The Thunder have lost four in a row on the Warriors’ home floor.
Warriors: Poole had his first double-double of the season and third of his career. … Golden State is 7-5 without Curry, who was previously sidelined Dec. 16-Jan. 7 with a shoulder injury. “We’ve already been through a stretch without Steph and handled it pretty well, so we’re confident we can do that again,” Kerr said.
ROLLINS SURGERY
Warriors rookie guard Ryan Rollins is set to have surgery Wednesday for a broken pinkie toe in his right foot and he will likely miss the rest of the season.
Golden State acquired the draft rights to Rollins from the Hawks, who selected him 44th overall in the second round.
He played in 12 games for the Warriors and 19 for the G League Santa Cruz team, where he averaged 19.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 25.6 minutes.
MILWAUKEE — A fan was ejected following a complaint by Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green during a game at Milwaukee on Tuesday night, and the Bucks said they were investigating the incident and consulting with the NBA.
The fan said “some threatening stuff to my life,” Green said.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry was shooting free throws with 5:19 left in the third quarter when Green spoke with a game official, repeatedly pointing toward a man sitting a few rows off the opposite baseline.
The official conferred with security personnel at Firserv Forum, and the fan was escorted out. Earlier in the period, the fan and Green had exchanged words.
“I was this close to really going back and diving all the way in, but just went back and told the official. And when I told the official, he said, he’s got to get out of here,” Green said.
“You just hope it gets to the point to where these leagues can work with legislators to implement laws, because that’s the only thing that’s going to ultimately correct the issue, is if you know something real is going to happen to you,” he said.
After Milwaukee’s 128-111 win, the Bucks said in a statement: “Under the referee’s discretion, we are investigating the situation and we are conferring with the NBA.”
The 32-year-old Green scored two points and had six rebounds and seven assists in the loss. He is averaging nine points, six rebounds and seven assists for the reigning NBA champions.
Two weeks ago, Green was fined $25,000 by the NBA “for directing obscene language toward a fan.” The situation occurred during the fourth quarter of Golden State’s loss at Dallas on Nov. 29.
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DETROIT — Saddiq Bey scored 28 points, Cade Cunningham was an assist short of a triple-double and the Detroit Pistons beat the defending champion Golden State Warriors 128-114 on Sunday night to end a five-game losing streak.
“I’m overjoyed for our guys after the work they put in tonight,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “That’s what happens with a young, rebuilding team. There are going to be nights like this where people are going to say, ‘Whoa, where did that come from?’ That’s exciting.”
Cunningham had 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to help the Pistons win for the first time since their opening game. Isaiah Stewart added 24 points and 13 rebounds as Detroit’s starters scored 111 points.
“I think tonight we showed what Pistons basketball is going to be,” Stewart said. “We played defense the way we needed to play it every night, and on offense we were sharing the ball and making sure everyone got shots.”
Steph Curry had 32 points and Jordan Poole added 30 for Golden State, coming off a 120-113 overtime loss in Charlotte on Saturday. The Warriors played without Klay Thompson (rest).
“We can’t stop fouling, and something needs to click with our guys,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after his team put Detroit on the line 38 times. “We have to be near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency and that puts us in some bad spots offensively.”
Golden State led by 10 early in the second quarter, but the Pistons responded with a 29-9 run to take a 10-point lead of their own. Stewart had 15 points and seven rebounds in the first half, including a rare 3-pointer to put Detroit up 63-55 at halftime.
Curry was 3-for-8 on 3-pointers in a 15-point half, but the rest of the Warriors went 1-for-13 from behind the arc. Golden State had a 22-12 edge in points in the paint, but Detroit’s jump shooting gave it a decided edge.
“I think our offense is killing our defense, whether it is floor balance or whether the ball doesn’t move and guys are stagnant,” Draymond Green said. “The two ends aren’t connecting, and in order to be a great team, those two ends have to connect.”
The Pistons kept rolling in the third quarter, starting with an 11-2 run to go up by 17, 74-57.
Poole, though, scored 12 points in 52 seconds — a three-point play and three 3-pointers — to cut it to 79-72.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Poole and Curry outscored their teammates 62-52 in the first three quarters. Their fellow starters — Green, Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins — combined for 19 points on 7-of-24 shooting.
Pistons: Detroit had more points in the first three quarters (100) than they averaged in four losses (96.3) to the Warriors over the last two seasons. … Rookie C Jalen Duran left in the fourth quarter with a left leg injury. Casey said he would know more on Monday morning.
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Miami on Tuesday night.
Pistons: At Milwaukee on Monday and Wednesday nights.
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The Golden State Warriors had a certain glow as they entered training camp four weeks ago. It’s a glow you have after spending the summer celebrating a championship and preparing to defend it the next season.
Klay Thompson was seen dancing on his boat. Stephen Curry had his jersey retired at his alma mater and was inducted into Davidson’s Hall of Fame. Jordan Poole took a tour of Europe. James Wiseman finally got a summer league under his belt.
That glow extended internally, as the Warriors spent five days in Japan for two preseason games. But shortly after they landed back in San Francisco, Golden State was confronted with what coach Steve Kerr called “the biggest crisis” in his tenure with the Warriors, as video of Draymond Green punching Poole during practice leaked out for all the world to see.
The team swears it’s past the altercation, and that ring night on Tuesday was the ultimate Band-Aid to the incident. It won’t, they say, have any effect on their quest to win their fifth title in nine years.
What kind of impact Green’s actions have on the Warriors is a question that will play out throughout the season. And it’s not the only issue surrounding the team.
Here are the five biggest questions the Warriors face for the 2022-23 season:
How will the Warriors manage their rotation?
In their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kerr played an 11-man rotation and nine players recorded more than 15 minutes. All but one active player (Patrick Baldwin Jr.) saw minutes and all but two (Baldwin and Ryan Rollins) played in the first half.
Having this depth is ideal in the situation the Warriors are in now — with Draymond Green and Thompson not ready to play full minutes and Iguodala not cleared to play at all. But Kerr and his coaching staff are eventually going to face some difficult decisions.
“You have 11 guys that probably deserve the opportunity to play,” Curry said. “There’s going to be different lineups every night, especially early in the year. … We’re going to have to develop that chemistry as we go. You’re going to continue to try and experiment and give guys opportunities to go out and hoop.”
This isn’t the first time the Warriors have faced this. They had it last season, but this season’s bench — and the talent up and down — is deeper than a year ago. The team has been drawing comparisons to the 2014-15 squad when the team coined the phrase “Strength in Numbers.”
“That team was veteran,” Kerr said. “This team is young guys, but the talent is really obvious.”
The additions of JaMychal Green and DiVincenzo replace the losses of Porter Jr. and Payton II. They are not carbon copies, by any means, but Green gives the Warriors a floor-spacer — he’s a career 37% 3-point shooter — defensive presence and a big body down low. DiVincenzo, for his part, gives them another ball handler and more offensive versatility.
But what makes the difference in the Warriors’ depth this season are their youngsters. Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are being asked to play more minutes and have bigger roles in the rotation, while Wiseman will back up center Kevon Looney.
During the preseason, Kerr said only his sixth man was decided on — Poole. Other than that, significant rotation spots, and minutes, are up for grabs. How they’ll be distributed will be a critical variable in the Warriors’ attempt at a repeat.
Where does Warriors’ ‘camaraderie’ stand post-punch?
The Warriors are adamant they have moved on.
Green took several days away from the team, apologized to Poole and his family, and the organization, and said he was willing to do the work to rebuild bridges. But that was before he pushed back on the notion that he had to build back trust with his teammates.
“It’s about making sure our team camaraderie is right,” Green said the day he returned. “You can tell when you’re playing against a team and they have good camaraderie … if not, they can be broken easy … if you have that, you can build through anything. [Our camaraderie doesn’t] get very shaken.”
Green might be correct, that playing well together does come down more to trust on the court than in the locker room. Their season opener against the Lakers showed Green and Poole can coexist on the court and play together, with Poole connecting with Green on a second-quarter pick-and-roll.
But the Warriors have been playing in a bubble since the altercation. They played three preseason games at home and play their first three regular-season games in San Francisco.
But what happens when the Warriors hit the road? How will different fan bases use this against the Warriors? Will players, coaches and executives be prepared to address it game after game? How will they respond when every interaction between Poole and Green is dissected?
Pressure will rise. And there are far more questions than answers about the defining feature of this Warriors team and dynasty.
How will the Warriors handle their $500 million question?
In the aftermath of the punch, both Poole and Green’s contracts were key topics of discussion for Golden State as it juggled potentially hundreds of millions of dollars. Ten days later, Poole signed a four-year $140 million extension. Andrew Wiggins signed on as well, for four years and $109 million, setting the team up for a gargantuan $483 million tax penalty.
Green has a $27.6 million player option waiting for him next summer, and if he turns it down he is set to enter free agency in 2024. Green doesn’t expect a new deal this year and he said he isn’t thinking about negotiations now.
With 12 players on the roster next season, the Warriors salary will already be $215 million, and their tax will be $268 million. This scenario includes Draymond Green opting into his player option.
No GPII, no Otto Porter Jr., no Mike Brown: How can the Warriors maintain their elite defense?
Despite the outstanding shooting and offensive firepower the Warriors are known for, they like to consider themselves a team in which defense comes first. Last season, the Warriors showed it again.
But Golden State also lost its defensive mastermind in assistant coach Mike Brown to Sacramento. Golden State promoted Kenny Atkinson after he gave up the head-coaching job opportunity in Charlotte and is considered to be its new defensive coordinator, but Kerr told ESPN the team is also heavily relying on assistant coach Chris DeMarco to lead the defense this season.
“Mike got a lot of assistance from Chris last year,” Kerr said. “Chris is the bridge from last year so everything that we did then we are doing this year. There are a couple tweaks here and there but for the most part, we’re playing a similar style and I’m really happy with the job they’re doing.”
Consider: The Warriors allowed 106.6 points per 100 possessions last season, second behind only their Finals counterparts, the Boston Celtics, according to ESPN Stats & Information. They contested 91% of their opponents’ shots last season, the second-highest percentage in the NBA, according to Second Spectrum.
It’s no surprise that Draymond Green was — and continues to be — the anchor of the Warriors’ defense. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Green allowed .68 points per direct post, third-best out of 158 players to defend 40+ post-ups.
But the Warriors lost two of their other most important defenders in Payton and Porter.
Payton allowed an effective field goal percentage of 45.6% in half-court matchups last season, 11th-best out of 254 players, per Second Spectrum.
Out of 254 players with at least 2,000 half-court matchups last season, Porter allowed the 12th-fewest team points per 100 usage matchups (91.1), Payton the 13th-fewest (91.2) and Green the 40th-fewest (93.4).
So who exactly is picking up the defensive slack?
“JaMychal has been amazing,” Kerr told ESPN. “To be able to add a big, strong player who rebounds, who boxes out, who can guard multiple spots … he can guard up and guard 5s; he’s a key guy for us in terms of replacing those guys.”
Can they stay healthy?
Last season, the Warriors were able to fight through injury after injury, not having their entire roster healthy until Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs. And even then, they took a hit in the second round when Payton broke his elbow.
Thompson missed the first four months of the season as he finished his recovery from consecutive ACL and Achilles injuries. Wiseman, whom the Warriors say won’t play under any particular load management this season, missed the entire season. Green missed 28 games from mid-January to mid-March with a back injury. Curry missed the final 12 games of the regular season with a foot fracture. Iguodala played in just 31 games.
According to Spotrac, 12 players combined to miss 308 games for Golden State last season, fourth-most in the NBA.
Iguodala’s availability this season is still a question, and the Warriors aren’t counting on him to play big minutes.
Thompson missed the first two preseason games in Japan due to lack of conditioning, and is starting the regular season on a minutes restriction. After playing 20 minutes in the Warriors’ season opener, Thompson isn’t expected to have much of a bump against the Nuggets on Friday.
“I don’t think it will be very long [until I can play my full minutes],” Thompson said Thursday afternoon. “But I feel great. I keep working with the minutes I play and if we keep winning, we’re so deep that I am in a very fortunate position to be able to [ease in].”
Last season, the Warriors had the sixth-oldest roster in the NBA. This season, they are 10th.
Injuries, of course, are unavoidable. But if the Warriors hope to repeat, a repeat of last year’s unlucky run of injuries will make it more difficult.
SAN FRANCISCO — As the Golden State Warriors wrapped up their Western Conference finals series against the Dallas Mavericks, stamping their ticket back to the NBA Finals, a man by the name of Jason Arasheben started receiving text messages from a few Warriors players.
The texts were simple — and presumptuous. “Make sure you go crazy with the ring,” one read. “Make sure it’s over the top,” read another, according to Arasheben, who runs Los Angeles-based jewelry house Jason of Beverly Hills.
When the Warriors beat the Boston Celtics in six games — Golden State’s fourth title in the past eight years — Arasheben began designing a ring that was just that: huge.
The Warriors’ 2022 championship rings, which were presented to the team, coaches and front-office members ahead of the Warriors’ regular-season opener Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, are 16 carats — a nod to the 16 wins the team had won in the playoffs. There are .91 carats of white diamonds on the inner bezel to honor the team’s 91% home winning percentage in the postseason.
But, like most any other championship ring, there is far more symbolism present than just the number of carats. Designed in a collaborative effort between players, team leadership and Jason of Beverly Hills, the ring tells the story of the Warriors’ championship season.
“The journey matters,” says Warriors assistant general manager Kirk Lacob, who spearheaded the design process. “That is the story you are trying to tell with any ring. The ring itself is cool, it’s flashy. But what it really is, is the physical manifestation of the journey. It’s supposed to remind you of everything you went through.”
Golden State’s journey to its title last year felt reminiscent of its title run in 2015 because of its improbability. Even after they made the Finals, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gave them just a 14% chance to win the title. The Warriors wanted to give a nod to that championship that kicked off their dynasty seven years prior.
Arasheben and his staff presented Lacob with dozens of innovative designs at their first meeting in Lacob’s office at Chase Center. But Lacob didn’t like them. He says he wanted the same round shape their 2015 rings had.
And similar to how their 2015 ring resembled Oracle Arena — with the old building’s recognizable X’s on its windows around the outside of the ring — this year’s has imagery of Chase Center’s exterior in the same spot. Down one of the sides, there is also a view of the interior of Chase Center.
Arasheben and Lacob held just three formal meetings, but they would send each other numerous updates via text and email during the monthslong design process. Lacob estimates he saw around 20 versions of various parts of the ring before settling on the final design. They started with the face of the ring, and then worked on the shanks afterwards.
“It’s similar, but it’s a new age,” Lacob says. “It’s bigger, better and more badass.”
The ring is made up of seven carats of yellow diamonds — a rare gem that the jewelers of Jason of Beverly Hills scoured for months to find. Trade embargos as a result of the war in Ukraine only made it more challenging, Arasheben says, and they sourced from Belgium, Israel, India and Canada to find enough. By the time he acquired the diamonds, Arasheben and his team had just five weeks to make the 65 rings, each one needing 40 to 50 hours and seven different specialists to create.
The yellow color is not only an acknowledgment of one of their team colors, but also the “Gold Blooded” slogan the franchise introduced before the first round.
On the face of the ring, a carve-out of the Bay Bridge is made up of 43 white diamond baguettes — representing Stephen Curry‘s 43-point performance in Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals.
The face also features each player’s jersey number on top of what Lacob calls a “secret trapdoor” that, when slid open, reveals the number of Larry O’Brien Trophies each player has won. The individualized custom feature, Lacob says, came from a desire to honor the four core players — Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala who built Golden State’s dynasty.
“The team won this championship together, but we have four players who are very special,” Lacob says.
One side of each ring features the player’s last name, and then the records of each of the team’s playoff series victories. On the other is the organization’s seven Larry O’Brien Trophies displayed.
“I really do feel like we won the title last year not in spite of the previous two years, but because of the previous two years,” Kerr said. “I think of all the work that (the guys) put in during those down years to get better, to be ready for what they faced last year … It was a long haul, but all part of the journey that led to this title, which makes it really special.”
Behind those seven trophies lies the ring’s most subtle symbol — and Lacob’s favorite. It’s one the players were unaware of during the design process.
Engraved behind the trophies on the ring’s shanks is Boston’s legendary parquet floor — the exact location where Golden State won these rings.
SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green offered a public apology and announced he will step away from the team indefinitely after an altercation on Wednesday between him and Jordan Poole.
“I’m going to continue to stay away, as I’ve been away, and continue to do work on myself, but also just give guys space,” Green said in a news conference Saturday. “I do want to give my team some space, I want to give Jordan some space, and then also take a few days and continue to work on myself … take some time to let everything breathe.”
Green initially apologized to Poole and the team on Thursday before practice, then immediately left the facilities and went home.
In addition to a teamwide apology, Green said he has apologized to Poole individually and has also offered apologies to Poole’s family. But Green doesn’t know how his apologies have landed with Poole.
“Jordan’s feelings are the most important, and to be honest I’m not sure how he feels,” Green said. “That’s not a bridge we have crossed yet, nor should it be a bridge we’ve crossed yet.
“The most important thing initially is to allow Jordan to work through his thoughts and not me try to persuade his thoughts one way or another.”
On Friday, a video was leaked that showed the incident, which prompted Green and the Warriors to mutually agree he should spend more time away from the team. The Warriors have also launched an investigation to find the source of the leak, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.
“I watched the video 15 times, maybe more, because when I watched the video, I’m like, yo, this looks awful,” Green said. “This looks even worse than I thought it was. It’s pathetic.”
According to Warriors coach Steve Kerr, the video leak has impacted the way the team has been able to move forward from the altercation.
“In 32 years, I’ve probably seen 20-plus fights. It should not make it out of our walls,” Kerr said.
“When things are kept internally, it’s almost easy to handle,” he continued. “As soon as things are leaked, all hell breaks loose. That affects every single player, coach. … It’s like if you had a camera in your family and there was a family dispute. Would you really want to discuss it with the world? No.”
The video does not show anything before Green punching Poole, and Green did not specify the events leading up to the incident, saying he didn’t want to use “sympathy tactics” or reveal anything that could change people’s minds on what happened. But he did say it did not stem from impending and ongoing contract negotiations for himself and Poole.
Poole is eligible for a rookie extension, and his representation is in the process of negotiating with the Warriors. Both parties are using the Oct. 17 deadline as a driving force to get a deal done, which would avoid the possibility of him entering restricted free agency next summer.
Green has a player option waiting at the end of this season. If it is not picked up, Green will become an unrestricted free agent in 2024. Green has publicly stated that he doesn’t believe he and the Warriors will reach an agreement this year.
On Thursday, Warriors general manager Bob Myers shared the same sentiment — that the altercation was not motivated by contract discussions — and said that, from his point of view, the fight stemmed from normal in-practice trash talk.
“That day that took place I was in a very, very bad space mentally,” Green said. “As a leader of this team, I needed to have a better feel for myself and just know and understand where my wick’s end was and what could possibly push me the wrong way. Frankly, I didn’t handle that well and I failed as a leader. I failed as a man, and I failed as a leader.”
Green said that, while he is away from the team, he will take steps to work on himself but did not specify what those steps will be.
“I like to keep my emotions to myself, but what I do want to change and what I do want to work on is how they end up coming out and how do you let them out without them coming out in a way you ultimately regret,” Green said. “And this is one I sincerely regret. There are not many things in life I regret.”
“I failed as a man, and I failed as a leader.”
Draymond Green
Green’s fire and tough love is viewed as a positive attribute by the Warriors. On media day, Klay Thompson said that being yelled at by Green is “practically a bylaw” and that if you couldn’t handle it, you probably shouldn’t play for the Warriors.
But there have been multiple occasions when Green has crossed the line. This one, though, feels different, according to Green.
“It’s absolutely different because someone else was affected in a major way,” Green said. “With word arguments, it requires two people … words have an effect, for sure, but they do not have the same effect as actions … when you have something that is action-packed, it is different than just some words.”
Green has historically had a close relationship with Poole, and he has intentionally made sure their lockers would be next to each other since Poole was drafted in 2019. Last season, Green said the moment he knew he liked Poole was when he saw him trash-talking during Poole’s first training camp.
“My love is there, and my love ain’t going nowhere. I will continue to support him and lead him,” Green said. “Leading comes with a responsibility that I dropped the ball on. You have to rebuild the trust in that.”
Although Green hasn’t decided how long his absence will be, he plans to be available opening night on Oct. 18 against the Los Angeles Lakers. An official decision by the team has not been made, but Myers initially said he didn’t expect Green to miss any games.
Draymond Green will be away from the defending champion Golden State Warriors indefinitely — which coach Steve Kerr called a “mutual decision” — after the star forward violently punched teammate Jordan Poole in the face Wednesday.
Green had been scheduled to rejoin the team for practice Saturday. He said he expects to play in Golden State’s season-opener on Oct. 18, but he is unsure of his status as well as how long he will be away.
“Yes, a mutual decision for him to step away for a few days. No set number,” a Warriors team spokesperson confirmed to CBS News Saturday in a brief statement.
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors enters the court prior to a game against the Washington Wizards at Saitama Super Arena on Oct. 2, 2022, in Saitama, Japan.
Getty Images
Poole wasn’t injured in the fight. Neither was Green, a fiery veteran part of Golden State’s four championships since 2015-16.
Green did not get into specifics about what triggered the physical altercation, though he said he was already dealing with something hurtful that day before erupting and that it has nothing to do with either player’s unsettled contract situation.
He said he is giving Poole space after apologizing to everyone Thursday. Calling himself “a very flawed human being,” Green said he would use his leave of absence to work on ways to better deal with his emotions and wants to allow Poole and the Warriors to heal from the incident and focus on defending their title.
Green said he will take the challenge to “right the ship,” which he said would not be an “easy process.”
“But I also look forward to continuing to better myself and my emotional state and how I deal with my emotions,” he said. “I think that one thing that I lack is how to let emotions out.”
Kerr said there is “no set date” for when Green will be back and that it would be determined based on private discussions among everyone involved.
Video of the punch leaked to TMZ was published Friday. The footage shows Green approaching Poole near the baseline and them coming chest to chest. Poole used both hands to push Green away, then Green punched Poole in the face and sent the fourth-year guard into the wall behind the baseline.
“No. 1, I was wrong for my actions that took place on Wednesday. For that I have apologized to my team. I have apologized to Jordan,” Green said during a nearly 40-minute news conference. “I wanted to take that a step further. With the event yesterday with the video leaking, there is a huge embarrassment that comes with that, not only for myself … but the embarrassment that Jordan has to deal with and that this team has to deal with and this organization has to deal with, but also Jordan’s family.
“His family saw that video, his mother, his father saw that video. Quite frankly, if my mother saw that video, I know how my mother would feel.”
Kerr challenged the entire organization to be better regarding leaks.
“I’ve been in this league for 30-plus years, I’ve seen all kinds of crazy stuff,” Kerr said. “When things are kept internally it’s really almost easy to handle, it’s just so much cleaner and smoother and you can move forward. As soon as things are leaked now all hell breaks loose and that affects every single player … we’re having to answer all of these questions and it puts us in a very difficult spot, everybody in a very difficult spot.”
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has apologized following a fight with teammate Jordan Poole during a practice this week, according to general manager Bob Myers.
Myers addressed the incident at a press conference Thursday, after news broke about the altercation the day before. The Athletic first reported the fight.
“Everybody’s fine,” Myers told reporters, confirming that Green and Poole had fought. He added that Poole, a shooting guard, attended a team practice Thursday but that Green did not.
“Draymond apologized to the team this morning. Jordan was there in the room, we were — I was there in the room, the team, the coaches, players,” he continued. The general manager also said that any punishment or suspensions would be handled “internally.”
But if the Warriors organization hoped the frenzy surrounding the incident would quietly die down after the press conference, that wish was likely shattered Friday after TMZ published a leaked video of the brawl.
In the footage, which has no audio, Green approaches Poole, who appears to push the forward away from him before Green is seen throwing a punch. The clip quickly made the rounds on Twitter, with many usersweighing inon the scuffle.
“He’s gonna have to see me every time after this sucker punch. Damn. That ain’t it!” Isaiah Thomas, who most recently played for the Charlotte Hornets, tweeted Friday. “And whoever leaked this should be fired too.”
Thomas later wrote: “All I’m saying is you ain’t responding with a PUNCH if that’s somebody you really rock with!!! Especially after a PUSH.
“But I ain’t in the practice and I didn’t hear what was being said so ima leave that alone but DAMN.”
When asked about possible tensions within the team, Myers said Thursday that he didn’t see any “lingering awkwardness.”
“I’ve been on teams where people have fought. I’ve been in gyms where there’s been fighting,” he said. “No one likes that, but every team has moved past that. I’ve never seen it ruin a team.”
In 2018, he received a one-game suspension after an infamous altercation with then-teammate Kevin Durant. The two were seen engaging in an argument on the bench at a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The exchange reportedly continued into the locker room, leading to the Warriors’ decision to suspend the veteran player.
