Draymond Green has had his fair share of quarrels over the course of his decade-long NBA career, but the most recent altercation with his teammate Jordan Poole feels different.
His words.
“It feels different because number one, everything that’s fresh feels different. When something is brand new, it’ll always feel different,” Green said Saturday while addressing reporters for the first time since the incident. “Number two, because someone else was affected. And so, because someone else was affected, to me personally, it feels different.”
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Green was remorseful while opening up about the situation and appeared sincere with his words. He apologized to Poole and Poole’s family after a video obtained and published by TMZ showed Green punching Poole in the face.
While the veteran forward has taken the “big bro” role with a squad ranging from teenagers to 38-year-olds and typically has been good at it, this changes everything.
Green said something he enjoys is making other people happy. When he won his third and fourth championships, he was more excited for his teammates who were winning their first.
Golden State Warriors
That’s why this hurts so much.
“Jordan’s feelings are definitely most important,” Green said. “And to be honest with you, I’m not sure how he feels. That’s not a bridge that we’ve really crossed yet.”
The incident happened Wednesday during practice when it was first reported that there was a "heated interaction" and Green "forcefully struck" Poole. On Friday morning, the video leaked.
Green announced he is taking time away from the team, although it's not clear how long that actually will be. He did say he "expects" to play in the season opener on Oct. 18.
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But even if he's not there for the first game, he hopes to be there down the final stretch of the season as the Warriors look to defend their latest title.
"Ultimately at some point, with this team, my goal and my job is to make sure that it is a bump in the road that we all get through and that’s the work that I am doing," Green said. "That’s the work that I’ll continue to ramp us as see fit.
"It may not be fixed in a week. It may not be fixed in a month. That’s where it differs. But my job as a leader, my job as a winner is to do all that I can to make it where in April, in May, in June, that it was a bump in the road for this team that we got over and we rode on our way."