Draymond Green admits relationship with Jordan Poole 'is a work in progress' after sucker punch

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green revealed he is still working to repair his relationship with teammate Jordan Poole after the pair’s practice bust up in October. 

Footage emerged just before the start of the NBA season of Green sucker punching Poole during a Warriors practice session. 

The forward admitted the incident changed the dynamic between the duo but claimed it is slowly improving, while they have maintained a sense of professionalism throughout the season. 

Draymond Green revealed he is still working to repair his relationship with Jordan Poole

Draymond Green revealed he is still working to repair his relationship with Jordan Poole

‘We go to work every day together,’ he said in an interview with Taylor Rooks. ‘Our lockers are right next to each other, that never changed. We ride the same buses together, we change in the same locker room on the road together — none of that has changed.

‘Did it change our relationship, of course. Absolutely. That’s still a work in progress. I’ll always be willing to continue to do that work because I was wrong.

‘I see improvements, day by day, week by week, month by month I see improvements,’ he added. 

‘That’s all you can ask for. I don’t expect him to come out and be like, ‘Man, I wanna come hang with you off the court.’ I don’t expect that. I’m not a fool.

‘[…] It’s kind of what I expected it to be but it’s a work in progress because it’s very important to the make up of our team and the success of our team. So, I continue to do the work.’

The Golden Warriors star sucker punched Poole during a practice session in preseason

The Golden Warriors star sucker punched Poole during a practice session in preseason 

Green also admitted to repeatedly watching the clip, originally obtained by TMZ, after it was released and claimed it was like ‘going through hell’.

‘Once that released, I’m experiencing so many emotions,’ Green said. ‘Like, I’m upset. How the hell does this get released? Going through hell because you’re just at the sole discretion of public opinion.’ 

However, he claimed the three-second clip did not tell the full story and was released to portray him in a certain light, before insisting he will one day reveal the full context of the incident. 

‘As someone who is involved in the incident, I totally forgot in watching the video everything that went on,’ he said. 

‘Because in the video, you watch and audio-less video, you watch a three-second clip of me walking up, and I swing. That’s what you see. That video was put out there like that to portray me the exact way it did.

Green claimed the clip did not tell the full story and was released to portray him a certain way

Green claimed the clip did not tell the full story and was released to portray him a certain way 

‘Does that mean that I was not wrong in what I did? No, that does not mean that. 100 percent was the wrong reaction. But in everything, there is also a full story. I don’t care to share my story. One day I will…’

When Rooks asked to clarify if Green believed the release was calculated he replied, ‘100 percent,’ reasoning that no other video from a Warriors practice has been leaked. 

In the short clip, an altercation between Green and his teammate Poole could be seen, with Green initially trying to square up Poole.

In response, Poole pushed Green away, before the latter then connected with a brutal sucker punch, which left Poole on the ground as staff and players waded in to calm the situation.    

The Warriors announced shortly afterwards that Green would not be suspended, and any punishment would be handled internally.

The forward admitted the incident changed their dynamic but claimed it is slowly improving

The forward admitted the incident changed their dynamic but claimed it is slowly improving

However, the team was said to be pursuing every legal course of action’ to discover how the shocking footage got out.

Back in October, in the wake of the clip being made public, Green decided to speak to the media – calling the leak ‘bulls***’ – while also apologizing to his teammate.

He also announced his decision to ‘step away’ from the Golden State for a few days while the frenzy died down but he returned for the Warriors for their final preseason game on October 14 as he and Poole put their fight behind them. 

source: dailymail.co.uk