A fiery sideline confrontation between Draymond Green and Steve Kerr saw the Golden State Warriors forward storm off to the locker room during his team's eventual victory over the Orlando Magic.
The Heated Sideline Exchange
The incident occurred during a third-quarter stoppage, with the Warriors trailing 71-66. Video footage captured Green and head coach Kerr engaged in an intense, gesticulating argument. Teammate Moses Moody and assistant coach Jerry Stackhouse attempted to intervene and calm Green, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The discussion continued for some time before Kerr turned his attention back to instructing the team. At that point, Green walked away from the bench and headed straight to the locker rooms. He remained there for the duration of the third period.
Return to Bench But No Return to Play
Green did return to sit on the bench for the start of the fourth quarter. However, he did not re-enter the game. The Warriors, rallying without him, went on to secure a convincing 120-97 win.
After the game, both men were tight-lipped about the specific cause of the argument. "Emotions got high, and I thought it was best for me to leave," Green stated. "I didn't think the situation was going to improve. The best thing was for me to remove myself."
Kerr's Post-Game Comments
Coach Steve Kerr offered little additional detail, choosing to keep the matter private. "We had him out a little bit," Kerr said. "He made the decision to go back to the locker room to cool off. That's all I'm going to say on it. It's all private."
Kerr was clear that despite Green's return to the bench, his night was over. "No. He wasn't going to go back in. No. He left. He went to the back. We moved on, and the guys played great." The coach did, however, acknowledge Green's importance, adding, "We need Draymond. He's a champion. We've been together a long time. It's unfortunate what happened, but it happened."
In his 18 minutes of action prior to the incident, Green recorded nine points, seven rebounds, and two assists. This marks the second consecutive game Green has left early; he was ejected after just eight minutes of play against the Phoenix Suns the previous Saturday.
