Getty Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has a big backer in his corner after a controversy that threatened to fracture the team.
Green sparked controversy when he punched teammate Jordan Poole during a practice earlier this month. The incident remained relatively quiet until a leaked video showed the punch itself, prompting a public apology from Green and a self-imposed exile from the team.
Green has since rejoined his teammates and mended fences with Poole, but NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal believes the incident was never as big as outsiders made it seem.
Shaq Defends Draymond
The former Los Angeles Lakers center discussed the incident on a recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, saying Green was the subject of some unfair criticism from people who don’t understand the dynamics of an NBA team.
“All you people messing with Draymond, mind your damn business,” Shaq said.
“All you people messing with Draymond [Green]: Mind your damn business… You guys that don’t know anything about competitive sports, you have no idea what you’re talking about. So just shut the hell up & be a fan… This happens all the time.”
🗣️ @SHAQ
O’Neal added that Green’s punch wasn’t that unusual of an incident among competitive players, comparing it to a famous incident where Michael Jordan punched teammate and current Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
“You guys that don’t know anything about competitive sports, you have no idea what you’re talking about. So just shut the hell up and be a fan,” he said. “This happens all the time.”
O’Neal also speculated that there may be some in-house tensions after the Warriors won a title and players jostle for roles. Green has been an established veteran and a key part of the team’s four NBA titles, but Poole is an up-and-comer who is taking a bigger and more significant role — which O’Neal described as a recipe for tension.
“When you win a championship, the others come back they come back different,” he said. “Especially if it was an ‘other’ who played a big part in you winning. Jordan Poole definitely played a big part in them winning. So, I think a lot of times those people try to check their pecking order status. The pecking order status on that team belongs to three people: Draymond, Klay, and Steph.”
Warriors Moving on After Incident
Since Green’s return to the team, the Warriors have maintained their focus on putting the incident behind them and looking toward the start of their title-defense season this week. Poole and Green took the court together in the team’s preseason finale, and Poole said he accepted his teammate’s apology.
“We’re here to win a championship.”
Jordan Poole addresses the altercation with Draymond Green
“He apologized and we’re planning to handle it ourselves that way,” Poole told reporters on Sunday, via SI.com. “We’re gonna play basketball and everybody in the locker room on our team knows what it takes to win a championship. We’re gonna do that on the court.”
But Poole also did not seem too keen to delve into specifics, saying he’d rather take questions about the upcoming season or the four-year, $140 million extension he just signed.
“That’s really all I have to say on the matter,” he continued. “We’re here to win championships and keep hanging banners. Anything in regards to the contract situation, the extension, us winning back-to-back championships, any basketball-related questions—I’m all ears.”