It’s been more than three months since the heated, physical altercation between Warriors forward Draymond Green and Jordan Poole ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season.
Since the incident, Green has apologized to Poole, his teammates, spent time away from the franchise and been a part of Golden State’s up-and-down start to the season. The Warriors (20-21) are currently at No. 9 in the Western Conference standings.
Recently, Green sat down with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks and shared that the video of the incident being released was a “calculated” decision to “portray” the four-time champion in a certain light.
“It is 100% calculated,” Green said. “Who it was calculated by I don’t know, I would still love to know that answer. How the video got released, I’m not sure I will ever get an answer. … 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.”
In the incident, Green and Poole became engaged in a heated interaction, coming chest to chest and pushing each other. Green then “forcefully struck” Poole, causing the two to be split up by teammates. Practice was briefly stopped to allow for the situation to simmer down.
Even more, Green and Poole were reportedly known to argue with each other. After the video of the punch surfaced on social media, Green told Rooks that his teammates “changed.”
“Everything changes, so now I am like … this is what this was intended to do,” Green said. “This is why this was released this way.”
In the one-on-one interview, Green—who often took several pauses—indicated that there was more to the story with the altercation. However, the four-time All-Star stated he did not want to divulge any additional information currently. “One day I will,” Green said. “It is not the time and the place.”
As the Warriors continue to play, Green said he has put the altercation behind him and has accepted his responsibility for the incident. Regarding his relationship with the Poole, it has changed. But, the two are moving forward through the situation.
“Is it different, 100% and not that I expected it to be the same,” Green said. “… 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 day by day, week by week, month by month, and that’s all you can ask for.”
