Draymond Green gave his side to Monday's heated confrontation that overshadowed an impressive win over the Orlando Magic.
The Golden State Warriors earned an impressive 120-97 over the Orlando Magic on Monday night, but it was overshadowed by yet another Draymond Green incident that made the evening feel as much as the beginning of the end of an era as it did a stepping stone victory for a mostly youthful supporting cast around franchise cornerstone Stephen Curry.
During a timeout in the third quarter, Green appeared to take exception to something Warriors coach Steve Kerr said in the huddle and began a verbal blowup between the two, resulting in Green going back to the locker room while the game was very much ongoing. Green eventually returned to the bench, but wasn’t put back in the game, and the team thrived in his absence.
Speaking to the media after the game, Green attempted to explain himself and played it as diplomatically as he could. Perhaps, like the rest of us, he’s starting to understand that his antics are no longer supported by his level of play.
“Tempers spilled over and I just thought it was best I got out,” Green said. “I don't think it was a situation where it was going to get better. So it was just best to remove myself … (It’s) basketball. It’s what we do. It’s an emotional game. People lose their emotions. Sometimes you're with people for a long time, there's a level of comfort and it happens. We move forward.”
Green made it clear that he didn’t speak to Kerr after the game, but Kerr offered his own perspective and explained why Green wasn’t put back in the game after he returned to the bench post-outburst.
Problem Solved?
Green seemed to understand Kerr’s decision to leave him on the bench for the remainder of the game, but insisted he was always going to come back to the bench and that he wasn’t quitting on his teammates.
“I was (always) going back to the bench,” Green said. “I'm going to be available for my teammates. I'm never going to quit on my teammates. It's also not my decision whether I go back in the game or not. I thought I owed it to my teammates to be there and I’m never quitting on them. But it's no issue with me not going back in.”
The Warriors are set to take on the Dallas Mavericks at 2 p.m EST/11 a.m. EST during the NBA's Christmas Day slate.