Golden State Warriors Give An Update On Recent Altercation At Practice
NBA practices tend to get very competitive, especially at the start of a new season. Between players competing for roster spots and playing time, the stakes are as high as they can be, which can oftentimes lead to some altercations.
This was the case with the Golden State Warriors recently, as All-Star forward Draymond Green and rising star Jordan Poole got into heated interaction during Wednesday’s practice that led to Green striking Poole. Both players were quickly separated from one another and now, the question of whether or not any disciplinary action will be handed down by the Warriors for what occurred looms large.
Golden State’s general manager, Bob Myers, spoke to the media on Thursday and offered his perspective on the matter, saying that Draymond Green apologizes to the team ahead of Thursday’s practice and that any suspension or fine will be handled internally.
“Everybody’s fine,” Myers said. “Look, it’s the NBA, professional sports, these things happen. Nobody likes it. We don't condone it, but it happened. Draymond apologized to the team this morning, Jordan was there in the room, I was there in the room with the team, the coaches, the players and we heard that.”
Myers went on to say that he did not feel that the incident was due to conversations regarding possible contract extensions and who would ultimately get paid. The Warriors and Myers are confident that the team will be able to put this behind them a move forward heading into the 2022-23 season.
“This group has been together a long time, which means you've been through a lot,” he said. “It helps to have the same people in the room. There are a lot of real relationships on this team that can withstand adversity.”
Head coach Steve Kerr also gave his perspective on the situation, stating that Green will not return to practice until Saturday and that he believes the reports of Jordan Poole’s attitude changing for the worse this training camp couldn’t be “farther from the truth.”
Whether or not Green is to be suspended by Golden State is yet to be seen, but altercations like this happen a lot in professional sports and in the NBA, as Myers alluded to in his press conference.
The Golden State Warriors have set very high expectations for themselves and after winning their fourth title in the last eight seasons, they have everything to lose this upcoming year.
Competing for a championship is one thing, but the Warriors have rapidly won championships. This does not happen without hard-fought practices and unfortunately on Wednesday, tensions and emotions just got the best of everyone involved in this situation.
The 2022-23 NBA season will begin on October 18 for the Warriors, as they welcome LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to San Francisco for their championship banner and ring ceremony.
