In case you were wondering, there’s no love lost between Jordan Poole and Draymond Green. Now that Poole is on the other side of the country with the Washington Wizards, distance has not made the heart grow any fonder.
It’s clear there’s still disdain between the two, stemming from a preseason punching incident that bled into the regular season and affected the Warriors’ chemistry. It’s why the Warriors jumped at the opportunity to ship Poole out of Golden State for Chris Paul, despite extending the 24-year-old not even eight months before.
Over the weekend, Poole finally had a chance to speak with the media during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He had to have known he was going to be asked about his incident with Green and the role that played in him ending up in the nation’s capital. And yet, he worked really hard not to mention Green.
Poole was asked if he had heard from Draymond. While he seemingly made eye contact with the reporter who asked the question, he didn’t even pretend to acknowledge it and shifted his attention elsewhere.
Taking a page out of football coaches everywhere, Poole did a masterful job of sidestepping the next question, which was in regard to the punching incident and the end of his time in Golden State.
“We’re in Washington now,” Poole said. “Playing with [Kyle Kuzma], great duo. Being able to really flourish, expand your game and help a new team. Help lead an entire group of guys; it’s a challenge that we’re up for… Everybody’s locked in, wants to be here, start something that we can have that can be special.”
If Green is indeed Poole’s arch-nemesis, it’s understandable why he’d sidestep the question so early into his tenure in Washington. There’s clearly still a sour taste left in his mouth about the whole ordeal, but he appears interested in leaving that behind him—at least for now. When the NBA schedule is released next month, all eyes will be on when the Wizards and Warriors face off for the first time. Maybe Poole will circle that game in his calendar. Maybe he won’t. All we know is that he won’t be invited to go on Green’s podcast anytime soon.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.