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Jordan Poole was ‘knocked out’ by Draymond Green punch, says Stephen A. Smith
Joe Lyons is a sports writer and has also been published by Nottingham Forest FC, working with the academy and senior teams to produce content on matchdays. He formerly covered the Premier League and EFL as an on-site reporter during the 2020/21 season for Prost International. He is an expert in a range of sports including soccer, basketball, darts and American football. Joe specialises in long form SEO content alongside news, tips and betting. His sports betting work can be found on SportsLens and The Sports Daily. Joe has a keen eye for the sports betting industry in the USA which covers the NBA and NFL, tracking and analysing the market as it changes throughout the season.
All posts by Joe LyonsUpdated13 Oct 2022
Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole was ‘knocked out’ from teammate Draymond Green’s already-infamous punch according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
The basketball world was taken by storm following a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania last week, detailing a physical altercation between Jordan Poole and Draymond Green at Warriors practice.
Footage has since emerged of the scuffle showing Green and Poole coming chest-t0-chest before Green strikes his teammate with his right hand, which led to a fine and one week suspension from the team.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has now revealed that Poole was knocked out by the punch, reminiscent of Warriors head coach Steve Kerr being struck by Michael Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls.
Stephen A. Smith was told Jordan Poole was knocked out. 😳
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 12, 2022
Kerr told the media that Green was fined for the incident but has now returned to team practice and will play in Golden State’s final preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
The 32-year-old will also suit up on opening night as Oracle Arena welcomes the reigning NBA champions home to face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers next Tuesday.
Whilst many believe that the relationship between Green and the Warriors has been damaged beyond repair, Steph Curry is said to have facilitated conversations between Green, Jordan Poole, and other members of the team to move forward.
Steve Kerr says Steph Curry organized conversations amongst the team and facilitated the healing process with Draymond Green, Jordan Poole and other players. Curry’s leadership continues to shine & assuming the Warriors move past this, he’ll be a big reason why. #dubnation
— Kylen Mills (@KylenMills) October 12, 2022
Kerr conceded that the 32-year-old had broken the team’s trust with this incident but after everything Green has given the Warriors since 2012, including four NBA championships, he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
“Draymond and I have been together for eight years. We’ve had plenty of run-ins but I trust him. He broke our trust with this incident, but I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because I think he’s earned that – and I think our team feels the same way.”
The Warriors are the Vegas favorites to win back-to-back championships in NBA betting at a price of +575, ahead of last year’s finalists Boston Celtics and 2021 champions Milwaukee Bucks.
