Warriors' Draymond Green Talks Jordan Poole Altercation: 'I Don't Just Hit People'

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has opened up a little bit more about the altercation with Jordan Poole last October and what led to the incident.

Green said on The Pat Bev Pod, "I don't just hit people" when discussing the incident without providing specifics about the lead-up to the punch.

Poole's father, Anthony, appeared to respond to Green in a tweet on Tuesday evening, leading to a response from the Warriors star:

TMZ Sports obtained footage of the practice altercation in which Green punched Poole in the face after the two appeared to be talking. Green bumped into Poole and the latter shoved his teammate preceding the punch as well.

Green announced on Oct. 8 he was stepping away from the Warriors and issued an apology to Poole and Poole's family. The four-time All-Star returned to practice on Oct. 13, five days before the regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.

After Green returned to the team, Poole told reporters everything was "professional" between them and they were united in their goal of trying to win a championship.

Following the Warriors' playoff loss to the Lakers, Green told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith (h/t Joe Price of Complex.com) there was "slippage on the road" because the team failed to "come together."

Head coach Steve Kerr told reporters during his end-of-season exit interview on May 16 the biggest reason they struggled throughout the 2022-23 campaign and lost in the second round was a lack of trust in each other.

"Anytime some trust is lost, then it makes the process much more difficult, and there was some trust lost," Kerr said. "That's as blunt as I can be. We have to get back to what has made us really successful, which is a really trusting environment and a group that relies on one another and makes each other better."

The Warriors traded Poole, who signed a four-year, $128 million extension before the start of last season, to the Washington Wizards on July 7 as part of a deal that brought Chris Paul to Golden State.

Green, who opted out of his contract before the start of free agency, signed a new four-year, $100 million contract to remain with the Warriors.