Warriors’ Draymond Green on Jordan Poole’s apology: ‘Let’s move on, man’

SACRAMENTO – Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green expanded on the apologetic message he sent the X in reference to postgame comments made Saturday by Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole during Wednesday’s episode of “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.”

After scoring 38 points in a 122-114 loss at the Chase Center, the former Warriors guard, whom Green beat during a 2022 preseason practice, said he loves “most of the guys over there” with Golden State. When ESPN’s Marc Spears sent the quote to X on Saturday night, Green responded “I’m really sorry.”

Asked on the podcast by Davis why he reacted, Green said: “I responded because, you know, it’s like — it’s been three years. Like, let’s move on. … I’m really sorry. That statement … it was looking for a little sympathy, you know what I’m saying? Like keep making me the bad guy.

“Like, it is what it is,” Green continued. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have hit him. But you know it happened. Let’s move on, man.”

Green also said he apologized to Poole’s parents.

“I know I was wrong,” Green added, “but you can’t call a man a b-word and push him and not get hit. You know what I’m saying? I sit in both of those rooms a little bit at one time and the reality is probably somewhere in the middle, right? I shouldn’t have knocked him out like that. It was just a natural reaction. … The answer is probably somewhere in the middle.”

In conclusion, Green said, “you’ve just got to keep going and just keep pushing, man.”

Out this week with a left calf strain, Green, 34 and in his 13th season, averaged 8.4 points, 6 rebounds and 5.5 assists as Golden State’s defensive anchor. Poole was traded after the 2022–23 season after helping the Warriors win the 2021–22 NBA Championship. The sixth-year combo guard, 25, is averaging a career-high 21.4 points (40.2% 3-point shooting), 4.7 assists and 1.5 steals this season.

Podziemski, Anderson could return Thursday: Speaking Wednesday before the Warriors played the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center, head coach Steve Kerr said guard Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal strain) and forward Kyle Anderson (left gluteal bursitis) could return to Golden State’s lineup Thursday against the Chicago Bulls .

Podziemski (8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists) missed his 12th straight game Wednesday, while Anderson (5.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists) missed his fourth straight game.

They were active on Wednesday morning at the shootround.

“They’re both coming together well and we’ll see tomorrow,” Kerr said.

Green (left calf strain) and Jonathan Kuminga (right ankle sprain) were also out Wednesday.

Kerr goes home: Kerr said he returned Sunday to Southern California’s Pacific Palisades, where wildfires ravaged his childhood home earlier this month.

“It was great to be with my mom and my family and hard to see the house and the whole neighborhood like that, but it’s important for us to be able to be together to see it,” he said.

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