I’m from the era of open gym in Sobrante Park, midnight league in Brookfield, pickup hoop at Mosswood Park, Hoop-It-Up tournaments in the Coliseum parking lot. I wasn’t very good, but I was there and know full well somebody getting their jaw rocked in basketball isn’t the most breaking of news.
Now, sticking with this street code concept, what’s supposed to happen next in
the Golden State Warriors’ situation? One of a few options. The easiest solution would be for
Jordan Poole to fight
Draymond Green, get his retaliation for Green punching him in the face on Wednesday. The size difference makes that not fair, and to Green’s advantage. That tends to lead to the disadvantaged, like Poole, escalating the situation even further, if you know what I mean. Since he can’t get reciprocity with his hands. So another option is for Poole’s brothers, cousins, patnas —
somebody — to jump Green in retribution. That or one of Poole’s big homies, anybody who is Green’s size or larger, would fight for Poole by proxy.
But that’s what makes this so egregious. Green
is the big homie. He is supposed to be the protector. They love him because that’s a role he plays, and he’s reliable at it. He gets away with a lot of his behaviors because of the value he brings, especially in this area. With Green as your big bro, your back is always covered. He was supposed to fight
for Poole. Not attack him.
It’s a great responsibility, the big homie. A cherished one. And Green is usually great at it. Now, he’s lost that status. He betrayed his post. It is beyond comprehension why. But whatever the reason, it was such a violation of what he means to the
Warriors that you have to wonder how he can go back into that same locker room and be who they need him to be.
The video changes everything.
It makes sense why the Warriors who spoke publicly on Thursday used words like trust and respect, and why they were so defensive about the idea of Poole receiving blame. And this was before they saw the video.
One of the tricky elements to the fallout of this situation is few people saw Green actually hit Poole. They know he hit him. They saw the two get separated and Poole getting off the ground. But most were focused on the scrimmage before hearing the commotion. Nothing suggested violence was about to happen, so they weren’t paying attention. And it happened so fast.
But on Friday morning, many watched the video and saw what happened for the first time, along with the rest of us. Multiple sources said their view of the situation is altered. Seeing Green walking up on Poole with obvious bad intentions. Seeing him respond to a baited shove from Poole with a ready swing. Seeing how much venom was behind the punch. That wasn’t the Draymond they knew. That was different than a chin-checking jab they presumed, the kind of measured punch you’d give your little brother.
Yes, Poole is the little brother. He is brash. He is outspoken. He is confident. And he is good. But that’s a part of what they love about him. Even if he can be irritating sometimes, or talk above his britches, that’s kind of what little bros are supposed to do — which is why the Warriors have been adamant Poole did nothing wrong. They are not happy their little bro was violated.
There is indeed a tendency for the masses to overhype these things. Teammates fighting is not even unheard of in the NBA. Ask Nikola Mirotic. And O.J. Mayo. And Steve Kerr. With that said, whatever we thought before TMZ revealed the leaked footage was understated.
In the setting of a mundane preseason NBA practice, in the context of the Warriors season, with his history of putting the team in a predicament, Green’s actions are even more appalling than we understood. What he did to Poole — more important,
how he did it — is unspeakable on multiple levels. It is a blatant violation of the person we’ve come to know and to whom many give the proverbial ‘hood pass.
Green’s actions weren’t justified by any words Poole uttered or the momentum of intensity. Sources on the team keep stressing that. What Green did was an intrusion on the vibe.
Not sure how the Warriors decided to not suspend him in the first place. The video changes everything.
But this isn’t the ‘hood. The street code doesn’t apply here even if many, including Green, sprouted from such concrete. This isn’t inner-city blacktop. Green is a professional. These are the Golden State Warriors, who live in a fishbowl and with whom everything is huge news (which is exactly why the video was leaked). The culture in which this happened is drastically different from any place where what he did is acceptable. I’ve seen people get their mouth busted, get separated and the game keeps going. I’ve seen people get jumped on the court. I’ve had to run when the steel came out because it went too far. The NBA isn’t that world.
So how do they get reciprocity? Green has major work to do to win the trust of the veterans. He has to win back the respect of the young players, starting with Poole. He has to win back the fanbase. He has to do it all while every single action, gesture, expression and word will be analyzed profusely by a public looking for a sign of more friction. It’s a tall order.
Green will be on an island on this one, with everyone watching to see how he handles it. He is a master at making amends. He’s a most genuine cat to those close to him, a real one. He garners support because they’ve felt this emphatically. He knows how to find the best parts of himself when he messes up, reminding people of the brilliant and kind person they love. But they have been through stuff with him several times. This is going to take a lot more than the usual vulnerability and good behavior. Even his strongest allies can’t ride for him the way they normally do.
Green made it to this level on his aggression, his figurative bullying of opponents and his willingness to mix it up. Warriors fans could probably make a quick list of people they would love for Green to two-piece with a biscuit. For the most part, he is beloved because he wears that hat proudly.
But the person who seemingly tried to hurt Poole isn’t the Green they know, who talks and yells and shoves and fouls but always — ALWAYS — has the best intentions of his teammates at heart. He clearly has the capacity to do such a thing, but anyone who knows Green would say this was out of character.
This wasn’t flailing and kicking
Steven Adams in the family jewels during the 2016 series against
Oklahoma City. This wasn’t cursing out then-teammate
Kevin Durant in the middle of a game at Staples Center in 2018. It wasn’t even on the level of getting suspended for Game 5 and costing the Warriors a championship in 2016. No, this was the worst Draymond Green. This is rock bottom for a career fashioned from the mud.
This was unacceptable because it was Poole. Green snuck a smaller man — one who talks a lot, for sure, but a point guard nonetheless and one who anyone can tell is more a lover than a fighter.
This was unacceptable because he’s 32 years old, a newlywed and a doting father. He should be well past behavior like this. He’s better than this. He’s definitely too smart for this. If nothing else, he just gave every team in the league a reason to not pay him what he believes he is worth. He swung away whatever leverage he had over the Warriors, who now have to worry much less about backlash if they trade him or let him walk. This isn’t the think-three-steps-ahead Draymond who just anchored a championship defense.
This was unacceptable because the ultimate winner put himself and his teammates in a no-win situation.
Green must be going through something. It’s the only thing that makes sense. He has too much at stake to lose control now, and this isn’t the heat of the playoffs where he is required to be on edge. What’s more, he has been a model teammate and leader since the team reunited — which was a bit surprising considering he didn’t get the extension he wanted. He seemed up for the task of proving his worth and defending the title despite the disappointment of not getting the contract he believes he deserves.
GO DEEPER
Thompson: Draymond Green incident puts Steph Curry's leadership to the ultimate test
The other surprising part: When have we ever known Green to not be all about trash talk? By the accounts of people there, Poole didn’t say anything disrespectful or out of the norm. For Green to respond that way means, at best, a man who was always ready with a comeback ran out of barbs and resorted to a fist, finally bested in verbal jousting. At worst, it means he has a deep resentment for Poole, the kind not so easily worked out.
His actions may end up costing him millions of dollars, but he could lose something even greater.
Green is a legend with a statue in the Bay coming one day. He built a monumental career from relatively nothing. He went from a chubby high school kid to a Hall of Famer. It’s an incredible tale, really. This is such a disappointing chapter, especially this late in the story. Sad, even.
He never really lives down these episodes. He is still called a “nut-kicker.” He is still blamed for costing the Warriors the 2016 title, and for Durant leaving. He gets razzed for not being able to score efficiently and even for having a podcast. But all those were but annotations in his story, well-earned jokes in the game of banter he plays well. Most importantly, they were secondary to the main point: He is a champion and one of the great defensive players of all time. He went from a second-round pick to the backbone of a dynasty, which relied on his heart and fire to change a franchise, change positions as we knew them, change even the league.
After years of scrutiny, Green reminded everyone of his greatness in the finals this June, overcoming his struggles to play stellar enough to win a fourth ring. But what he did to Poole is a black eye that threatens to become a birthmark. Unfair or not, exaggerated or not, he put himself in this position.
Maybe he’s got one last incredible run in him that can save his reputation. It’s a shame to think, after all the greatness he’s accomplished, this one punch mentioned right along with his success. The video changes everything.
That was a "With no regard for human life!" punch
