Jordan Poole’s tenure with the Warriors was cut short by Draymond Green after he punched the guard during a pre-season practice in October 2022. Poole was traded the following summer and Green tried to own his mistake on multiple occasions. However, more than two years later, the 25-year-old has still not forgiven the Warriors’ veteran for his act. Green on the other hand is still seeking forgiveness.
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After his recent visit to the Chase Center, Poole said that he has a good relationship with his former teammates and that he loves them. In the following sentence, he corrected himself which seems to have made an impact on Green. Poole said, “I love those guys over there. I love most of those guys over there.”
This statement was posted on X by Marc J. Spears of ESPN which caught Green’s attention. The Warriors veteran replied, “I really am sorry.” At first, most fans thought that it must be one of Green’s parody accounts, but upon checking the profile, it turned out that the heartfelt confession came from the 34-year-old.
I really am sorry
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) January 19, 2025
This might be the first time that Green has apologized to Poole on a public platform ever since their incident. However, he has acknowledged his mistake in the past. Green knew that the youngster looked up to him and he had a responsibility toward him as a veteran. He also blamed himself for the Warriors’ playoff exit in 2023, stating that his action ruined the locker room atmosphere.
During an appearance on Penny Hardaway’s podcast, he said that the incident with Poole is one of his “biggest failures as a vet.” While admitting that he “f***ed it all up,” Green also shared that it was a wake-up call for him. He said, “It taught me a ton, it taught me how to be a better vet for Jonathan Kuminga…for Moses Moody. I had to go through that in order to learn.”
Draymond Green says the Jordan Poole situation taught him how to be a better vet
“It taught me a ton, it showed me how to be a better vet…I had to go through that in order to learn.”
(h/t @NBABeyondCourt )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 27, 2024
The 34-year-old said that he wanted to be a great veteran for Poole and was willing to put the work in, but he had no idea how to approach such a mighty role. But after the incident, he has a better understanding of his responsibility toward the younger players. The incident brought some major changes in the GSW camp, including the implementation of the two-timeline theory.
The two-timeline theory is an attempt from the Warriors to continue to compete for championships while building stars for the future of the franchise. In that approach, the positive presence of someone like Green becomes even more important.
