Draymond Green has long been the Golden State Warriors’ heartbeat. He has been a key player for the team for several years, offering exceptional defense and playmaking. Green has served as the Warriors’ ‘glue guy’, being someone who binds the team together. He has often been a vocal leader in the Warriors dugout and has exhibited his ability to steer the team from the front.
Green recently saw all the spotlight shine bright on him, but not for the reasons he’ll likely be proud of. He made headlines recently when he punched his teammate Jordan Poole at practice. Although the Warriors decided not to suspend their star, the four-time NBA champion has endured an avalanche of backlash, with many questioning him as a leader.
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Renowned sports announcer, Doris Burke, happens to be a part of that bunch. During the Warriors’ second game of the new season against the Denver Nuggets, the ESPN sports announcer shared her views about the entire situation. She decided to drop the hammer on Green, questioning his abilities as a leader.
Doris Burke went in on Draymond Green about the Jordan Poole incident. She capped it off with:
"I hear so often guys talk about I gotta lead my team, I gotta lead lead lead. I don't ever hear Steph talking about it. All I ever see is Steph Curry do it."
— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) October 22, 2022
“I hear so often guys talk about I gotta lead my team, I gotta lead lead lead,” Burke said. “I don’t ever hear Steph talking about it. All I ever see is Steph Curry do it”,?she concluded.
She claims that she sees many players in the league, including Green, talk about leading a team. However, she has never seen Stephen Curry talk about it, instead, he has been the one to lead the Warriors from the front.
The Jordan Poole incident has possibly tarnished Draymond Green’s reputation as a leader
Draymond Green has contributed significantly to the Warriors becoming a dynasty in recent years. He has proven to be the human equivalent of a “swiss-army knife”, owing to his ability to contribute across the board. In terms of leadership, he has been a vociferous enforcer who has gone above and beyond as the team’s?vocal leader.
His style of leadership has proven to be great, but if not handled properly, it can arguably be divisive. The infamous incident with former teammate Kevin Durant proves that and now, this incident with Jordan Poole only adds to that claim.
Steve Kerr: "Draymond and I have been together for eight years. We've had plenty of run-ins … (but) I trust him. He broke our trust with this incident, but I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because I think he’s earned that — and I think our team feels the same way." https://t.co/AktkrLN3l3
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 12, 2022
Through Doris Burke’s comments, it’s clear that Green punching Jordan Poole at practice has put a stain on his reputation as a leader. Though the veteran forward apologized, he likely still has work to do to regain the trust of the fans, coaches, and teammates.
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"I was wrong for my actions. For that, I apologized. The embarrassment that Jordan, this team, this organization has to deal with, but also his family saw that video.. For that, I apologize to his mother & his father."
– Draymond Green
(via @CjHolmes22)pic.twitter.com/qdaf2YoWx9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 8, 2022
Notably, Poole and Green must have been on the same page since the Warriors did not suspend the latter. The Warriors are certainly seeking to move on from the situation. They’ll be hoping that this doesn’t come back to bite them as they try to win title number five in the past nine years.
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WATCH THIS STORY: Amidst Draymond Green Jordan Poole fiasco, a look back at all the times? Warriors legend showed his dark-side?
How will the Golden State Warriors fare this season? Let us know in the comments section below.
