Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green left the court during Monday night's victory over the Orlando Magic following a heated exchange with head coach Steve Kerr in a third-quarter huddle. Green headed to the locker room to cool off after the argument, which came days after he was ejected from Saturday's game against the Phoenix Suns for consecutive technical fouls.
Kerr said the pair “got into it” during a timeout he called because he believed the team had lost focus. “We had it out a little bit and he made his decision to go back to the locker room to cool off and that’s all I’m going to say about it,” Kerr told reporters. “Everything is private.” Green explained his decision, saying: “Tempers spilled over and I just thought it was best that I get out of there. I don’t think there was a situation where it was going to get better so it was just best to remove myself.”
The forward said he would have been happy to re-enter the game after his break, but Kerr chose not to send him back on court. Green maintained he “owed it to my teammates to be there” and insisted he was not quitting on them. The Warriors’ 15-15 record is below expectations, and Green acknowledged “that’s probably why tempers are flaring.” He added: “Basketball, it’s what we do. It’s an emotional game. People lose their emotions sometimes.”
Teammate Stephen Curry said he believed Kerr and Green were “just having a good conversation” before the forward left, and noted the matter was “for them to talk about, not me.” Guard Brandin Podziemski said Green was “a great teammate on the bench” after returning. Kerr praised Green’s performance, calling him a “champion” and saying the first half was “brilliant” despite missed shots.
Green has spent his entire career with Golden State, having been drafted in 2012, and Kerr has been his coach since 2014. The pair have won four NBA championships together. “We’ve been at this now for a long time,” Green said. “Sometimes you’re with people for a long time and there’s a level of comfort and shit happens. We move forward.”
