Or the lady doth protest too much? 1. Let Draymond be Draymond and make sure staff have cameras ready. 2. Punch happens, predictably. 3. Raise eyebrows a couple of times to a key staff member. 4. Relish the video coming out. 5. Flop with the media: "oh, how outrageous! OMG! We will find out who did this to our family!"
Don't think money necessarily fixes psychological issues and it's obvious that the guy likes attention and being a 4th fiddle is not cool enough in his mind. I would love to see him say that he'll do some sort of psych rehab (even if the organization forces him to for PR purposes.) There better be hefty repercussions for him as that was not good for the team even without the leak. It looked like he had full intent to hurt Poole.
…But that’s what makes this so egregious. Green is the big homie. He is supposed to be the protector. They love him because that’s a role he plays, and he’s reliable at it. He gets away with a lot of his behaviors because of the value he brings, especially in this area. With Green as your big bro, your back is always covered. He was supposed to fight for Poole. Not attack him. It’s a great responsibility, the big homie. A cherished one. And Green is usually great at it. Now, he’s lost that status. He betrayed his post. It is beyond comprehension why. But whatever the reason, it was such a violation of what he means to the Warriors that you have to wonder how he can go back into that same locker room and be who they need him to be. The video changes everything. It makes sense why the Warriors who spoke publicly on Thursday used words like trust and respect, and why they were so defensive about the idea of Poole receiving blame. And this was before they saw the video. One of the tricky elements to the fallout of this situation is few people saw Green actually hit Poole. They know he hit him. They saw the two get separated and Poole getting off the ground. But most were focused on the scrimmage before hearing the commotion. Nothing suggested violence was about to happen, so they weren’t paying attention. And it happened so fast. But on Friday morning, many watched the video and saw what happened for the first time, along with the rest of us. Multiple sources said their view of the situation is altered. Seeing Green walking up on Poole with obvious bad intentions. Seeing him respond to a baited shove from Poole with a ready swing. Seeing how much venom was behind the punch. That wasn’t the Draymond they knew. That was different than a chin-checking jab they presumed, the kind of measured punch you’d give your little brother. Yes, Poole is the little brother. He is brash. He is outspoken. He is confident. And he is good. But that’s a part of what they love about him. Even if he can be irritating sometimes, or talk above his britches, that’s kind of what little bros are supposed to do — which is why the Warriors have been adamant Poole did nothing wrong. They are not happy their little bro was violated. There is indeed a tendency for the masses to overhype these things. Teammates fighting is not even unheard of in the NBA. Ask Nikola Mirotic. And O.J. Mayo. And Steve Kerr. With that said, whatever we thought before TMZ revealed the leaked footage was understated. In the setting of a mundane preseason NBA practice, in the context of the Warriors season, with his history of putting the team in a predicament, Green’s actions are even more appalling than we understood. What he did to Poole — more important, how he did it — is unspeakable on multiple levels. It is a blatant violation of the person we’ve come to know and to whom many give the proverbial ‘hood pass. Green’s actions weren’t justified by any words Poole uttered or the momentum of intensity. Sources on the team keep stressing that. What Green did was an intrusion on the vibe Not sure how the Warriors decided to not suspend him in the first place. The video changes everything. … So how do they get reciprocity? Green has major work to do to win the trust of the veterans. He has to win back the respect of the young players, starting with Poole. He has to win back the fanbase. He has to do it all while every single action, gesture, expression and word will be analyzed profusely by a public looking for a sign of more friction. It’s a tall order. Green will be on an island on this one, with everyone watching to see how he handles it. He is a master at making amends. He’s a most genuine cat to those close to him, a real one. He garners support because they’ve felt this emphatically. He knows how to find the best parts of himself when he messes up, reminding people of the brilliant and kind person they love. But they have been through stuff with him several times. This is going to take a lot more than the usual vulnerability and good behavior. Even his strongest allies can’t ride for him the way they normally do. Green made it to this level on his aggression, his figurative bullying of opponents and his willingness to mix it up. Warriors fans could probably make a quick list of people they would love for Green to two-piece with a biscuit. For the most part, he is beloved because he wears that hat proudly. But the person who seemingly tried to hurt Poole isn’t the Green they know, who talks and yells and shoves and fouls but always — ALWAYS — has the best intentions of his teammates at heart. He clearly has the capacity to do such a thing, but anyone who knows Green would say this was out of character. This wasn’t flailing and kicking Steven Adams in the family jewels during the 2016 series against Oklahoma City. This wasn’t cursing out then-teammate Kevin Durant in the middle of a game at Staples Center in 2018. It wasn’t even on the level of getting suspended for Game 5 and costing the Warriors a championship in 2016. No, this was the worst Draymond Green. This is rock bottom for a career fashioned from the mud. This was unacceptable because it was Poole. Green snuck a smaller man — one who talks a lot, for sure, but a point guard nonetheless and one who anyone can tell is more a lover than a fighter. This was unacceptable because he’s 32 years old, a newlywed and a doting father. He should be well past behavior like this. He’s better than this. He’s definitely too smart for this. If nothing else, he just gave every team in the league a reason to not pay him what he believes he is worth. He swung away whatever leverage he had over the Warriors, who now have to worry much less about backlash if they trade him or let him walk. This isn’t the think-three-steps-ahead Draymond who just anchored a championship defense. This was unacceptable because the ultimate winner put himself and his teammates in a no-win situation. Green must be going through something. It’s the only thing that makes sense. He has too much at stake to lose control now, and this isn’t the heat of the playoffs where he is required to be on edge. What’s more, he has been a model teammate and leader since the team reunited — which was a bit surprising considering he didn’t get the extension he wanted. He seemed up for the task of proving his worth and defending the title despite the disappointment of not getting the contract he believes he deserves. The other surprising part: When have we ever known Green to not be all about trash talk? By the accounts of people there, Poole didn’t say anything disrespectful or out of the norm. For Green to respond that way means, at best, a man who was always ready with a comeback ran out of barbs and resorted to a fist, finally bested in verbal jousting. At worst, it means he has a deep resentment for Poole, the kind not so easily worked out. His actions may end up costing him millions of dollars, but he could lose something even greater. Green is a legend with a statue in the Bay coming one day. He built a monumental career from relatively nothing. He went from a chubby high school kid to a Hall of Famer. It’s an incredible tale, really. This is such a disappointing chapter, especially this late in the story. Sad, even. He never really lives down these episodes. He is still called a “nut-kicker.” He is still blamed for costing the Warriors the 2016 title, and for Durant leaving. He gets razzed for not being able to score efficiently and even for having a podcast. But all those were but annotations in his story, well-earned jokes in the game of banter he plays well. Most importantly, they were secondary to the main point: He is a champion and one of the great defensive players of all time. He went from a second-round pick to the backbone of a dynasty, which relied on his heart and fire to change a franchise, change positions as we knew them, change even the league. After years of scrutiny, Green reminded everyone of his greatness in the finals this June, overcoming his struggles to play stellar enough to win a fourth ring. But what he did to Poole is a black eye that threatens to become a birthmark. Unfair or not, exaggerated or not, he put himself in this position. Maybe he’s got one last incredible run in him that can save his reputation. It’s a shame to think, after all the greatness he’s accomplished, this one punch mentioned right along with his success. The video changes everything.
Rock bottom? Drama much? He’s a pro athlete in great shape making 25m/year. He’s won four championships. Even if he never plays again he’s attained things most people only dream about. I’ll take his rock bottom any day. Jfc
eh, to the writer's credit: rock bottom in terms of his NBA arc. I think missing a game in the finals b/c dumbass is much worse, but that's just me.
Yeah that article was pretty ****ing over the top, but I love it, keep bringing the drama and making Green look bad. **** that dude.
Could also be MJ was actually a decent guy, he knew he was wrong, or how Kerr handled it earned his respect, then Jordan would compensate and treat Kerr better ever since. It's like if you feel guilty then you compensate and treat whoever it is a bit better.
GSW should have cut ties with Draymond when he started that **** with KD. Now he is alienating GSW's next up and coming star. Green made it out like KD is the one with issues but from what I see it's Green being angry cuz other people besides Steph think they're pretty good. He wants Steph to be the only "star" on this team so he can say he's one of the core GSW guys even if he's really already washed and past his prime.
Green isn't getting the credit he deserves for the role he plays on that team. Whenever he isn't playing they look completrly different, especially Curry. I think he's tired of being overlooked. Would be interesting to hear what Poole said that made Draymond do this. I for one am quite pleased with this. I find Poole to be annoying but he seems to be fine so that's good. But the team morale may not recover from this and anything that hurts the Warriors is a win in my book.
https://www.tmz.com/2022/10/08/draymond-green-jordan-poole-practice-punch-video-b****-practice/ Jordan Poole is set for a big contract extension with the Golden State Warriors -- something he's supposedly made known around the team's facilities -- and it's the reason things boiled over with Draymond Green ... TMZ Sports has learned. Sources who were at the practice where Green punched Poole tell us ... in the days leading up to the incident, Poole was carrying himself differently -- in a cocky manner. The alleged behavior was creating friction between him and some of his teammates, including Draymond, who has reportedly also asked for a big extension. Fast forward to Wednesday's practice. Our sources on site say Poole called several fouls during a scrimmage, and Draymond called him a "b****" multiple times as a result. Things escalated when Poole allegedly said, "You know what it is, Draymond." -- seemingly bragging over the contract situation -- and Draymond got in Poole's face, allegedly saying, "No I don't know, what is it?" Then, as played out in video obtained by TMZ Sports, you see Poole push Draymond back, and Draymond delivers the blow to his teammate's jaw. Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala and head coach Steve Kerr came to Poole's defense earlier this week ... denying his attitude had anything to do with the altercation. In fact, Steph went as far as to say it was "absolute BS" ... but our sources are adamant the team is trying to save face. As for the Warriors, the organization has remained tight-lipped after the video was posted ... and the NBA has yet to address the incident.
People need to pump the brakes on saying it's impossible for the team and Poole to overcome this. This is Draymond. Dudes like him don't know any better. The team and Poole know Draymond is insane. That he can't control himself. The NBA knows this, too. Whoever handles Green know this. That's why he is treated differently on the court. You keep him until his contributions no longer outweigh this type of inevitable behavior.
