Draymond Green’s Apology: A Call to Move On
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In the world of professional sports, where emotions run high and stakes are even higher, incidents like the one between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole are not entirely uncommon. Yet, they often leave a lasting impact, not just on the individuals involved but on the entire team dynamic. The Golden State Warriors have been navigating the aftermath of such an incident for over two years now.
Draymond Green, a star player for the Warriors, recently issued another apology for the infamous punch he threw at his former teammate, Jordan Poole. This apology comes after Poole, now with the Washington Wizards, made a comment about his fondness for “most of those guys over there” during his return to the Warriors’ home, Chase Center, in San Francisco. Green responded to Poole’s remarks with a tweet that simply stated, “I really am sorry.”
On “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,” Green elaborated on his tweet, saying, “I responded because it’s been three years. Like, let’s move on. We’ve moved on. I really am sorry. That statement [by Poole] was kind of like it was looking for some sympathy … kind of keep on make me out to be the bad guy. Move on, bro. It is what it is.”
Green’s candidness about the incident is a reflection of his desire to put the past behind him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have punched him. But it happened. Let’s move on,” he added. The incident, which occurred during a preseason practice in October 2022, was captured on video and showed Green and Poole exchanging words before Green walked over to Poole, who then shoved him. Green retaliated with a punch.
Following the incident, Green publicly apologized to Poole and his family. The Warriors fined Green, and he voluntarily left the team for a period, although he did not miss any games or face league discipline. The punch happened after the Warriors had clinched the NBA championship the previous season, but they were unable to replicate that success, losing in the Western Conference semifinals in the 2023 postseason. Poole was subsequently traded to Washington in a deal for Chris Paul in June of that year.
Reflecting on the incident, Green said on his podcast, “I kind of go back and forth with this. I know I was wrong, but you can’t call a man a b-word and push him and not get hit, either. So, I kind of sit in both of those spaces sometimes. Like, the reality is, the answer is probably somewhere in the middle, right? I shouldn’t have knocked him out like that. If anything, I should have hemmed him up. It kind of was just a natural reaction.”
Green’s introspection highlights the complexity of emotions involved in such situations. He continued, “I think, for him, you are kind of bringing that back up on yourself. Like when you do that, you just bring up that moment back on yourself. You just got to move on and keep it pushing, man. Got to let it go.”
Last season, Green faced further disciplinary actions, including a five-game suspension for putting Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves in a chokehold and an indefinite suspension for striking Jusuf Nurkic of the Phoenix Suns in the face, resulting in him missing 12 games.
During his suspension, Green underwent counseling and participated in mandatory check-in Zoom calls with NBA executives, the Warriors, the players’ union, and his agent. This process, Green told ESPN, helped him become a “different” player and person this season. He worked with two therapists and a sports psychologist, but it was the check-in calls that truly made a difference.
This season, Green has accumulated eight technical fouls but only one ejection, compared to four last season. “I want people to say, ‘Man, right here was a little bleak. But then look where it went from there. And that’s due to because he took accountability,'” Green told ESPN. “Regardless of how I felt about the Rudy situation, the Nurkic situation … the Jordan Poole [incident], any situation, I took it on the chin. I took accountability for it, and I moved forward.”
Green’s journey is a testament to personal growth and accountability. “They’re my fault. I needed to be better, and I failed. We all fail. But I’m not a failure,” he said.
Currently, Green is dealing with a left calf injury sustained at the start of Saturday’s game against Washington. He missed Wednesday’s game against the Sacramento Kings and will be reevaluated next week.
- Draymond Green’s apology to Jordan Poole marks a significant moment in their ongoing saga.
- The incident has had lasting effects on the Warriors’ team dynamics.
- Green’s journey of accountability and personal growth is evident in his recent actions.
Originally Written by: Ohm Youngmisuk
