Draymond Green, Jordan Poole (Image Source: Getty Images)

Over the years, Draymond Green has dramatically benefited the Warriors but has also caused them pain on several occasions. As one of the league’s top defenders, he significantly influences the floor by being a nuisance and influencing his teammates in the frontcourt.

Four-time champion Draymond Green discussed his worst failure with the Warriors in an interview on the ‘Two Cents’ podcast. The greatest setback in Green’s career to date, in his opinion, is his falling out with Jordan Poole.

Green claims, “One of my biggest failures as a vet was with what happened with Jordan Poole. And it took me to go through that failure with Jordan Poole, who was someone who came in and chose his locker to be next to me because he wanted to learn from me. He was someone that I would spend time with, that I would pour into, and I f**ked it all up. I haven’t felt that miserably by most things in my life. And so that was one of my biggest failures. It taught me a ton and it showed me how to be a better vet for Jonathan Kuminga, how to be a better vet for Moses Moody. But I had to go through that to learn.”

Draymond has an unquestionable CV as a four-time champion and past Defensive Player of the Year. Even recently, Green made a wild move against the Lakers, which had his 7th tech foul. His litany of achievements has earned him respect in the basketball community. Although Poole was expected to be the Warriors’ future, it didn’t seem wise for him to remain on the same team as Green after the incident. Currently, Poole is working for the Wizards, and he wants to take over that franchise.

What Exactly Happened Between Draymond Green And Jordan Poole?

But the worst thing that has happened to Draymond with the Warriors is the situation involving Jordan Poole. It is often believed that it broke up their championship roster during a preseason workout in 2022–2023. In practice, Poole was playing and yelling obscenities when he said something that made Draymond lose his temper.

In front of the whole squad, Green gave Poole a straight punch to the face, knocking him unconscious. Even worse, the incident was captured on tape and released to the NBA press. Warriors were forced to deal with the situation and take steps to mend the team’s relationship once the public learned of Draymond’s treachery.

Although Green continues to play a significant role for the Warriors, he frequently regrets the way he handled the Jordan Poole incident. The Warriors would have fared far better had he maintained his composure or responded non-physically. Now, his only option is to grow from that error and make sure he’s a better mentor and teammate to their current core of young players.