Following a heated exchange with head coach Steve Kerr during a timeout against the Orlando Magic, Draymond Green was sidelined for the remainder of the contest. The argument, which occurred early in the third quarter, led Green to voluntarily walk to the locker room to de-escalate the situation. Despite the Warriors eventually pulling away with a 120-97 victory, Kerr remained firm on his decision to keep Green out, saying:
“He wasn’t going back in. No. He left. He went back to the locker room. We moved forward, and the guys played great.”
Kerr later noted that they “had it out a little bit” before Green “made his decision to go back to the locker room to cool off.”
Former NBA player Chandler Parsons offered a unique perspective on the incident, suggesting that walking away was actually a sign of growth for the veteran forward. Speaking on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back,” Parsons opined that the situation drew massive attention only because of Green’s polarizing reputation, saying:
“I think if this was anybody else other than Draymond Green, this is probably national news, right? It’s still picking up and still getting a lot of attention, but this is just something that has happened often.”
He further characterized the move as responsible, adding:
“I think it was a sign of maturity that he actually just stormed off and left, and then he came back.”
Parsons emphasized that the friction between Kerr and Green is a by-product of two highly competitive individuals who share a deep mutual respect. He noted that such heat-of-the-moment interactions are common in the league and often go unnoticed if not for social media coverage.
Parsons supported Green’s decision to remove himself from the bench to prevent the situation from deteriorating, explaining: “I’m a big proponent of just leave the situation and let things cool off, so I kind of understand why he’s doing that.” He expressed confidence that the pair had already “hashed it out” and would move forward without lingering resentment.
This latest episode adds to a long list of incidents in Green’s career, though it appears significantly less severe than past suspensions involving Jusuf Nurkic or Rudy Gobert.
For the 15-15 Warriors, the timing of the frustration highlights the pressure of a season spent hovering around the .500 mark. The team must now quickly regroup as they prepare for a high-profile Christmas Day matchup against the Dallas Mavericks and former teammate Klay Thompson.
Draymond Green Explains His Side of Things After Heated Argument With Steve Kerr
Draymond Green addressed the recent friction with Steve Kerr by emphasizing their 12-season partnership and dismissing the idea that his performance played a role in the dispute. Despite leaving the court early, Green maintained that he played with composure and was not acting out of personal frustration, saying:
“I’m not frustrated at all. I had one turnover today. I had the ball the whole time I was in the game. I know how to fix problems when they’re a problem. I had one turnover in my minutes. I essentially ran our offense.”
While Green noted that he and Kerr had not spoken since the incident, he expressed total confidence that their deep-rooted history with the Warriors would allow them to move past the matter. He attributed the flare-up to the high level of familiarity that comes with working together for over a decade, explaining:
“We’ve been at this now for a long time. Sometimes you’re with people for a long time and there’s a level of comfort and s* happens. We move forward.”
Green’s comments suggest that the relationship remains resilient enough to absorb such disagreements.
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