Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green will not face suspension for his altercation with teammate Jordan Poole, head coach Steve Kerr said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Kerr told reporters that Green has instead been fined for the incident but declined to share the fine amount. The press conference occurred shortly after the Warriors defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in a pre-season game.
Although Green did not play in the game on Tuesday night, Kerr said that the veteran player is expected to return to practice with the team on Thursday and is slated to play in their last pre-season game on Friday.
Green announced on Saturday that he was taking “a few days” away from the team to give his teammates time to heal from the ordeal.
The internet was sent into a frenzy after TMZ published a leaked video of Green’s fight with Poole during a practice last week. In the video with no audio, Green can be seen approaching Poole, who appears to push him away before Green is seen throwing a punch.
Sports fans on social media have questioned whether the Warriors would suspend Green for his actions. He received a one-game suspension after an infamous altercation with then-teammate Kevin Durant in 2018.
Kerr discussed the organization’s decision not to suspend Green with reporters on Tuesday, saying that any criticism about their choice is “fair.”
He said the organization came to its decision after many “deep discussions” in an “exhaustive process.” He explained that those discussions included Green, Poole and Steph Curry, who had been “working like crazy to figure out the best way to move forward.”
At one point, Kerr called the incident the “biggest crisis” he has faced as head coach.
Kerr said Green “sort of lives on the edge” when asked how the team plans to hold Green accountable, considering his history of losing his temper.
“A couple of times in his career, he has crossed the line,” Kerr said. “He crossed the line with Kevin, whatever year that was, and he crossed the line the other night in a worse fashion –– much worse fashion.”
He continued, “I would hope that everybody would respect the fact that we feel like we know Draymond and this entire group very well and that while this is not an easy decision, we feel like this is the best decision we can make going forward.”
He added, “I trust Draymond that he will stay on that edge and not go over it.”
During the press conference, Kerr called Poole, an “incredibly mature young guy.” He said the shooting guard is “willing to move forward” with playing alongside Green and “go to work.”
On Saturday, Green told reporters that he had apologized to Poole and his team after the scuffle. He called himself a “very flawed human being” and said he is a “constant work in process.”
