Draymond Green and Jordan Poole during a game against the Phoenix Suns.
Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Golden State Warriors center Draymond Green, revealed this Wednesday that he believes that if he had not hit his teammate Jordan Poole in the face, his team would continue in the race for the NBA title.
Speaking to the American journalist Stephen A. Smith regarding the start of the NBA Western Conference Final, Green gave the statement in relation to the controversy that he had at some point during the season.
At the beginning of the NBA in the month of October, during a training session for the Warriors, he decided to settle a dispute that he had with Poole with the blow to the face, in a fact that shook the brotherhood that was frequently seen in the team.
“We’re not playing right now (conference finals) because when you talk about fouls, you think about all the slip up we had as a team along the way, not being able to come together,” Green said.
He later said that the situation with Poole led him to lose some leadership that he had accumulated over so many years in the team and that it marked a turning point for him.
“None of those things (the elimination) happen if that (the Poole hit) doesn’t happen, because of the voice I am and the departments I lead this team in.. There were a lot of problems because I sat there and didn’t say anything. In the end I was trying to allow that situation to develop on its own and give (Poole) time to heal,” she added.
Draymond Green’s statements coincide with those given a couple of days ago by Warriors coach Steve Kerrassuring that they lost confidence as a result of the fact.
“Every time some trust is lost, the process becomes much more difficult and some trust was lost,” Kerr said. “That’s about as direct as I can be,” she added, referring to the Green and Poole case.
Watch the video of Green’s statements to Smith here:
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