Draymond Green Let’s His Emotions Spill While Discussing His Inability to Celebrate Jordan Poole’s $128 Million Contract

Jordan Poole and Draymond Green couldn’t see eye to eye with each other after the latter punched him for some NSFW comments in the 2023 off-season. While the two are now seen as arch-nemesis, that wasn’t always the case. On The Draymond Green Show, the 2017 DPOY lamented being unable to relish Jordan Poole’s four-year, $128 million contract with the Wizards. 

Talking to his long-term teammate, Kevon Looney, the 4x All-Star expressed that one of the lowest points of his NBA career was putting a lid on his celebrations even when his former mentee earned a hefty payday.

“When I took JP under my wing and to see him have success was the best thing for me. One of the worst feelings I’ve ever had as an NBA player, was seeing him get a contract and knowing that I f*cked it off and I couldn’t celebrate his contract with him,” Green told Looney.

“One of the worst feelings I’ve ever had as an NBA player, was seeing him get a contract and knowing that I f*cked it off and I couldn’t celebrate his contract with him”

—@Money23Green on seeing the success of Jordan Poole pic.twitter.com/mFA7g4Xb9x

— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) June 10, 2024

These words reflect that Poole and Green used to enjoy a much more healthy relationship. The two had a good on-court chemistry playing for the Warriors as the youngster added efficiency to their bench. It is unclear when their bond started to turn sour, but one incident has always stood out the most. One that sent huge shockwaves around the league.

A punch that changed everything

In October 2022, the Golden State Warriors had gathered for a training camp before the 2022-23 season. As the defending champs, their chemistry was expected to be sky-high, however, something untoward happened.

As 6’4” Poole yapped something at Green, after a brief chest-to-chest contact, the 6’6” forward lunged at Poole and sucker-punched him, which caused the guard to fall on the spot.

The incident drew widespread condemnation and the Warriors’ defensive ace had to issue an apology to ameliorate the situation. However, it was clear that Poole and Green couldn’t be kept on the same roster for long. After a tumultuous 2022-23 season, the Warriors traded Jordan Poole to the Wizards.

He signed a hefty contract with them but struggled massively during his early tenure as the primary guard option. Would he have been better off with the Warriors in terms of role and productivity? At least, the guard turned it around in the second half of the season and was away from a much more uncomfortable situation.