The tension that remained following Draymond Green’s preseason punch of Jordan Poole last year was, at least, part of the reason for Poole’s trade to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul. Green appeared to rekindle some of those tensions in a social media back-and-forth with Poole’s father on Wednesday morning.
In a clip posted from an appearance on NBA player Patrick Beverley’s podcast, Green alluded to some of the backstory behind him punching Poole in a preseason practice last October.
“I don’t just hit people,” he said. “Dialogue happens over time. You ain’t just triggered by something that fast to that degree. This is a team, ain’t nobody on my team triggering me in an instant. We know stuff that you don’t say amongst men. We know things you have to stand on.”
Anthony Poole, Jordan’s father, replied to the clip on Twitter rebutting Green’s statement, calling it “BS”.
“(Jordan) was his guy and he avoid me all last (year),” he wrote. “He is a soft as (expletive) and he didn’t apologize to me and my wife. So he lame and me and him can meet anytime he want.”
Green replied back from his personal account.
“That’s so cute,” he said. “it’s impossible to avoid you an arena for a year champ. I go get my family from that family room every game. And stop using those words, they usually don’t go over well amongst men.”
Green signed a four-year, $100 million extension with the Warriors at the onset of free agency. The deal came just a few days after the Warriors shipped Poole to Washington along with Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins for the 38-year-old Paul. Warriors players and coaches have said the punch set the tone for a disappointing and disjointed Warriors title defense season that ended with elimination in the Western Conference semifinals.
