NBA
What was said between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole before the punch?
It is alleged that the two Golden State Warriors came to blows due to some posturing over contracts and some nasty verbal interactions.
As we previously reported, there was a serious altercation in training between Jordan Poole and Draymond Green, the latter flooring his teammate with a punch that provoked influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul to offer up $10 million dollars to keep the ‘JP’ pride alive. The video footage made it clear that tensions were high between the NBA pair, and immediately fans wanted to know what had happened.
Green allegedly calls Poole ‘bitch’
The Athletic had reported that Green and Poole have had verbal arguments in the past. And Green had said on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show”, that he loved seeing Klay Thompson and Steph Curry beat and “humble” Poole in a 3-point contest. Yahoo Sports also reported that Green’s teammates have noticed a change in his behavior recently, too.
And now TMZ, who got their hands on the now-viral video of the incident, have been reporting that a lucrative new contract for Poole could well have been behind the spat.
‘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.’
And this attitude from Poole, as well as a number of fouls called by him during scrimmage on Wednesday, say TMZ’s sources, led to Draymond calling him a “bitch” multiple times. Then the punch.
Green-Poole: the aftermath
Green was apologetic after the incident and did not practice on Thursday. The Warriors are now considering taking disciplinary action on Green for the altercation, but it’s not yet known what those measures would be. It is unlikely that whatever punishment they decide on would actually cause Green to miss any games, as he should return to practice at the weekend.
Green is on the verge of a contract extension and has two years left on his current deal. Poole is on the final year of his rookie contract. Warriors general manager Bob Myers denied that the contracts had anything to do with the tension between the two players or the altercation that occurred. Star player Steph Curry also played it down. But what else were they going to say?