Draymond Green Issues Apology After Jordan Poole's Not-So-Subtle Postgame Comments

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It's been over two years since Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green punched then-teammate Jordan Poole in the face during a preseason practice, knocking him out cold in the process, yet more layers continue to be added to the story.

The Warriors played host to Poole and the Washington Wizards on Saturday, and while the Warriors earned a 122-114 win, Poole had a great night posting a game-high 38 points. Speaking after the game, Poole offered some praise for his former teammates, but not all of them.

"I love those guys over there," Poole said, before quickly tracking back and saying "I love most of those guys over there." The emphasis was on the ‘most.’

Green caught the clip of Poole almost certainly insinuating he has no love for Green, which is fair since, you know, he punched him in the face in the middle of practice, and claimed that he really is sorry.

Green publicly apologized for punching Poole four days after the altercation took place while announcing he would be stepping away from the team for a bit. The Warriors ultimately fined Green for the punch, although the NBA never stepped in with any form of discipline.

Poole also explained that Green apologized to him for his actions not long after the incident, but the veteran didn't exactly keep quiet about the altercation moving forward.

After the Warriors were eliminated from the NBA playoffs in May 2023, Green essentially admitted that his punching of Poole set Golden State up for failure, but also came across as a guy who wanted you to feel sorry for him, not just the guy he punched.

"We're not playing right now, because when you speak about the fouling, when you speak about all of the slippage we had as a team on the road, not being able to come together," Green explained on ESPN. "None of those things happen if that (the punch) doesn't happen, because the voice that I am and the departments that I lead this team in, there was a ton of slippage due to me sitting back, me not saying anything, me trying to allow that situation to play itself out and give it time to heal."

Green, who exited Saturday's game with a calf injury, is in year two of a four-year, $100 million contract with the Warriors.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016, when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.