The champion Warriors’ quest for a smooth start to the season was upended when Draymond Green punched teammate Jordan Poole during practice.
Suddenly, Golden State had a crisis on its hands.
Green’s right hand that pushed Poole into a wall on Oct. 5 could leave scars that will be difficult to heal.
Green asked for a leave of absence and promised to be a better person when he comes back.
“It’s not going to be an easy process, and it shouldn’t be, and I don’t expect it to be,” Green said. “I am looking forward to continuing to improve my emotional state and how I deal with this. “I think that one thing that fails me is how I discharge my emotions.”
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the Warriors navigated a controversy-free season en route to their fourth NBA championship since 2015. But what happened to Green and Poole left everyone stunned.
Remains to be seen if the champions will be affected by the fight between companions.
“It’s also something that we don’t feel will derail our season and what we’re aiming to accomplish, and that includes Draymond,” Curry said.
At 34 years old, the point guard remains at an excellent level as he enters his 14th season in the league. The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player wants to make the most of his splendid moment.
Just last December, Curry passed Ray Allen to become the NBA’s all-time 3-point leader. In the previous season, he led the league in scoring, with 32 points per game, his second scoring title, and the first since 2015-16.
“For me, the big question is measuring where you are in your career and really asserting yourself when you’re at your peak and keeping that level as high as possible,” he said. “You also have to understand the aspect that everyone in our team is in a different situation and they have to perform at their best every day.”
Curry has joked about the idea of playing into his 40s. He will turn 35 in March.
“You can do it as long as you want. Steph is someone who never gets tired of working. He is in excellent physical condition and he is someone who really enjoys playing basketball,” Thompson said. “He’s a very competitive guy, so I think Steph can make it to 40. His style of play allows for that. He is not a player who depends on physical contact. He is a strong man, but his game is based on the subtle way of doing things”.
