Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors attends a press conference in San Francisco, California, October 13, 2022. /CFP
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors returned to the team's practice sessions on Thursday after staying away for a week. He took the leave of absence due to punching his teammate Jordan Poole, according to ESPN.
On October 5, Green clashed with Poole during a team practice session that was closed to media. According to a leaked video posted by TMZ, Green punched Poole, knocking him flat against the wall. He had approached Poole aggressively and Poole pushed him away in response, then Green punched him. Green apologized for his behavior and was fined as punishment.
"We had the conversations about what we need to do moving forward, and we're going to do that," Green said. "We are not going to continue to hold on to the past."
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors poses for a photo with the four Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophies he has won with the team on meida day in San Francisco, California, September 25, 2022. /CFP
The decision to allow Green to come back was made by the Warriors after holding meetings with the front office, coaching staff members and locker room leaders including Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala and Kevon Looney. Poole, as a main party involved in the incident, attended the meetings as well.
"[Our] culture has been damaged by this incident. You have to work to repair that," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said on Wednesday.
"It's about making sure our team camaraderie is right," Green said. "You can tell when you're playing against a team and they have good camaraderie ... if not, they can be broken easy ... if you have that, you can build through anything. [Our camaraderie doesn't] get very shaken."
Jordan Poole (C) of the Golden State Warriors shoots in the NBA pre-season game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, October 9, 2022. /CFP
Having played nine season for the Warriors since he was drafted by the team with the 35th pick in 2012, Green has averaged 8.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.4 steals and one block. His offense continued to degenerate in recent seasons but he could still contribute as an elite defender during the playoffs. He has two years left of the current four-year, $99.7 million contract with the Warriors and can opt out of it in 2023 summer.
Poole finished his third season for the Warriors in the 2021-22 campaign during which he averaged 18.5 points and four assists. He grew to become the team's second scoring option in the regular season, but his defensive weakness was exposed badly during the playoffs. Poole is in the final year of his rookie deal. The Warriors have October 17 as the deadline to reach rookie extension with him.