NBA - Main

Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole is best known among local fans as the player whom Bradley Beal was indirectly traded for. To the NBA at large however, he may be best known as the young Golden State Warriors player who got sucker punched a year ago in training camp by veteran forward Draymond Green.

In an article by Logan Murdock of The Ringer yesterday, new details emerged about what the Warriors did in their attempts to mitigate the situation.

In the years before the punch, Poole considered Green a mentor and often like a brother. However, they weren't the same after the punch back in Oct. 2022. And Green refused to make peace or address things with Poole directly. Here is the most telling snippet of the piece.

According to Warriors officials, head coach Steve Kerr made several attempts to convince Green to take Poole to dinner, to smooth over their relationship, but Green declined. Those around the situation now believe the lack of disciplinary action—other than an undisclosed fine—and the inability of anyone on the Warriors to repair the fractured relationship soured the team’s season. Poole became isolated, left to balance his personal goals with the team’s, widening the chasm between the Warriors core and the young prospects tasked with prolonging the dynasty. Poole’s determination to prove he was worthy of carrying the torch led to on-court mistakes that left teammates and coaches befuddled.

Now that Poole is with the Wizards, it will be interesting to see how he develops without being “held back” by other players like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson who are also guards and a former mentor who had a falling out with him. If Poole can become the star that some think he can be, he will be remembered more for how he turned the Wizards around than for being punched at a preseason practice.