Getty Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
Jordan Poole is no longer a member of the Golden State Warriors, but one mystery about his falling out with Draymond Green and his eventual departure from the team remained — until now.
Pablo Torre, formerly of ESPN and now a member of Meadowlark Media, revealed the comments Poole made to Green that incited the now infamous punch, which knocked Poole out and signaled the beginning of the end to his run with the Warriors.
“‘You’re an expensive backpack for 30,’ is what we now believe is explosive enough to be the thing that set off Draymond Green.”
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“You’re an expensive backpack for 30,” is what Poole said to Green right before the fight went down, according to the Friday, September 29 edition of Torre’s new Meadowlark podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out with renowned sports filmmaker Ezra Edelman.
The comment apparently referred to Green’s $25 million annual salary and how he earned it by riding the coattails of Steph Curry, who wears the No. 30 on his jersey.
Poole was on the brink of signing a four-year, $128 million extension in Golden State at the time of the altercation, which the team then traded to the Washington Wizards over the summer in return for Chris Paul. Green has since signed a new four-year extension worth $100 million to remain a member of the Warriors.
Draymond Green Never Revealed Jordan Poole’s Comments After Punch
GettyDraymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors asked Green to stay away from the team for an extended period of time in the immediate aftermath of the altercation. Green also publicly apologized to the franchise and to Poole personally.
“I was wrong for my actions that took place on Wednesday. For that, I have apologized to my team. I have apologized to Jordan,” Green said on October 8. “There is a huge embarrassment that comes with that, not only for myself for committing the action, but the embarrassment that Jordan has to deal with, the team has to deal with, the organization has to deal with and his family.”
However, in July following Green’s extension and Poole’s trade to Washington, Green appeared on the Pat Bev Podcast and took a harder line with his former teammate. The four-time champion and former NBA Defensive Player of the Year didn’t explicitly detail Poole’s comments, though he did imply they were inciting and deserving of the physical reaction they received.
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“I don’t just hit people,” Green said. “We know stuff that you don’t say amongst men. We know things that you have to stand on.”
Poole’s father referred to Green as a soft a** b**** in the wake of Green’s remarks to fellow NBA player Pat Beverly on July 18, which Green later laughed off as “cute.”
Jordan Poole’s Play Suffered Following Draymond Green’s Punch
GettyGolden State Warriors star Draymond Green (right) and his former teammate Jordan Poole (left) celebrate a play during an NBA game against Charlotte Hornets.
The true extent of the psychological damage Green’s punch inflicted on Poole can never truly be known by anyone other than Poole, and perhaps his mental health specialist, if he has one. However, the impact on Poole’s play was relatively clear.
Poole averaged 20.4 points per game during the 2022-23 campaign, which was a career-high, but his efficiency numbers dropped across the board. Poole took nearly two more shots per game compared to the season prior, while his overall field goal percentage dropped by nearly two points to 43%, per Basketball Reference.
Poole’s 3-point percentage plummeted nearly three percentage points to 33.6% and his defensive struggles made him a liability at times throughout the Warriors’ playoff run, which ended with a Game 6 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals.