The Golden State Warriors experienced some controversy during Monday night’s win over the Orlando Magic involving Draymond Green and Steve Kerr. Fans in the crowd recorded footage of Green and head coach Kerr getting into an animated argument that ended with Draymond walking off the court to the locker room.
Frustration mounted for the Warriors trailing the Magic in the third quarter during a timeout. Green left the court and the team went on a hot streak to take the lead before eventually winning by 23 points. The controversial Golden State veteran explained his perspective after the game.
“Tempers spilled over, and I thought it was best that I get out of there,” Green told the media via ESPN. “I don’t think it was a situation where it was going to get better. It was best to remove myself. That’s it.”
The tone from Green claimed that things would be fine moving forward and implied he didn’t have any lingering issues with Kerr. Both sides have butted heads many times over their decade-long time working together to make this less shocking than the average player/coach friction.
Steve Kerr Comments On Draymond Green
Golden State’s rocky season has forced Kerr to make some bold moves already this season, like benching Jonathan Kuminga to put his future in doubt. However, Green usually stands out for his respect and public support of Kerr throughout the years. The situation escalated further than it ever has between the two.
Kerr shared his following thoughts on the situation after the win:
“We got into it, obviously. We had it out a little bit, and he made his decision to go back to the locker room to cool off. That’s all I’m gonna say about it, everything is private. I’ve got nothing further to add.”
A follow-up question made Kerr confirm that Green left the sideline and went to the back without the head coach’s approval. Kerr likely doesn’t enjoy a player showing him up like this, but Green has been an important player for the Warriors’ success in the dynasty era. Golden State is clearly used to dealing with Draymond’s controversial moments.
Will Draymond Green’s Anger Hurt Them?
The Warriors winning this game is a massive part of the story, especially since Green left with the team trailing to Orlando. Golden State looking good adds some more momentum heading into the Christmas day spotlight in a game against the Dallas Mavericks. Green’s drama may follow the team for another day or two if he doesn’t say anything terrible.
Only one thing matters to the Warriors franchise and their fans for the rest of the season. Golden State has high expectations with Curry and Jimmy Butler as the top two stars with a solid supporting cast. A tough start requires them getting hot to move up in the loaded West’s standings race.
Green’s words claiming it was a temporary anger should make things normal for the team to move forward under Kerr’s leadership. The Warriors are usually great at getting past controversial situations. Time will tell if they can contend for another NBA Championship as a completely different matter.
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