NBA

Why did Draymond Green punch Jordan Poole?

A video released by TMZ shows Golden State Warriors player Draymond Green punching teammate Jordan Poole during practice. What made him snap?

In this video, released by TMZ, you can see Warriors player Draymond Green on the sidelines before finally approaching his teammate, Jordan Poole, coming chest to chest with him, Poole shoving him away, and Green punching Poole in the face.

The Athletic reported that Green and Poole have had verbal arguments in the past. And Green has 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 reported that Green’s teammates have noticed a change in his behavior recently, too.

Green was apologetic after the incident, which happened on Wednesday, but he 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 by 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.

The good news is, Poole was not actually injured by the punch, nor was Green hurt during the incident.