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Draymond Green says he ‘DOESN’T CARE’ about backlash to his brutal sucker-punch on Warriors teammate Jordan Poole – and that he had no idea people were mad about it because he doesn’t check social media
Draymond Green has reflected on the incident when he sucker-punched Warriors teammate Jordan Poole, admitting ‘I never really knew how much it blew up’.
Footage of Green hitting Poole during practice emerged earlier this month but the pair took to the court together for Golden State’s final preseason game last week.
Green was not suspended for his actions but did receive a fine and is expected to take on the Los Angeles Lakers in the defending champion’s regular season opener tonight.
Draymond Green reflected on his incident with Warriors teammate Jordan Poole on TNT
Green (L) and Poole (R) appeared to be in good spirits during Friday’s final preseason game
He conceded he didn’t realize how viral the video went as he admitted he ‘doesn’t care about people’s opinion’.
‘Woke up to the video,’ he told TNT. ‘Once I woke up to the video I don’t know if the dynamic necessarily changes in that because you never really know people’s opinions right away.
‘You give it some time to allow people to throw their opinion out, which quite frankly I don’t care about people’s opinion and to be totally honest with you I never really knew how much it blew up because I don’t really spend much time searching Instagram or looking through comments. I don’t really read many Tweets at all.
‘I was just at home chilling with my children. If you want me to be honest with you I still don’t know how much the world may think it blew up.’
Green returned to the court Friday night for the Warriors for the first time since punching teammate Poole and subsequently being fined by the organization.
Though Poole was able to finish the practice and was apparently not hurt, Green connected with a right hand to the face of his teammate.
Green started the game for Golden State vs. Denver Nuggets, while Poole entered Friday’s preseason game off the bench in the first quarter to a big applause from the crowd.
And the two exchanged a handshake prior to the game, before Green was seen giving Poole a pat on the behind after the former Michigan guard made a floater in the first half.
‘It’s in the past,’ Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson told reporters after the team’s final preseason tune-up which ended in a 119-112 defeat. ‘I think ring night will heal all wounds.’
Green admitted last week he was ‘not sure’ if he and the fourth-year player can ever become friends again.
Green and Poole are seen smiling on the bench during the first half of the game vs. Denver
The clip shows Green exchanging words with Jordan Poole along the baseline, before bumping chests with the smaller guard, who attempts to gently push the veteran forward out of the way. He then retaliates with a brutal sucker-punch to floor his teammate
‘As I said before, that’s not up to me,’ the four-time NBA champ said. ‘Nor do I think there’s much relevance. Quite frankly, we both know how to play basketball and that is the most important for us.
‘We’re paid to do a job and we’re gonna come and do that job to the best of our ability. We wanna continue to win so we gonna do what we have to do to win.’
In announcing last week that he would briefly step away from the team, Green called the leak of the punch video, which was obtained by TMZ, ‘bulls***’ but apologized to Poole.
‘Number one, I was wrong for my actions that took place on Wednesday, and for that I have apologized to my team, I have apologized to Jordan,’ he said. ‘I wanted to take that a step further with the event yesterday of the video leaking.
‘There is a huge embarrassment that comes from that, not just from myself as the one that committed the action, but the embarrassment that Jordan has to deal with, that the team has to deal with, but Jordan’s family.’
‘His mother and father saw that video. Quite frankly, I know if my mother had seen that video, what her reaction, her next step would be. So I apologize to his mother and father.’
Green added on TNT: ‘I was told “the world has been able to see one of your worst moments, look at all the upsides you have now.” It is a totally different way of looking at it, like the world has seen one of your worst moments, look at the upside and I can live with that.’
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