Steve Kerr and Draymond Green both downplayed a heated argument that led Green to briefly leave the bench vs. Orlando, stressing afterward that emotions boiled over, the decision was Green's, and that the long-time partnership would move forward without issue.
The Golden State Warriors cruised past the Orlando Magic with a 120–97 win on Monday night, but the victory was overshadowed by a tense moment between head coach Steve Kerr and veteran forward Draymond Green.
Golden State Warriors / Schedule
Kerr revealed after the game that Green went to the locker room following a heated argument between the two during an early third-quarter timeout.
The coach emphasized that Green was not sent off the bench—it was his own decision.
"We got into it [heated argument], obviously," Kerr told reporters. "We had it out a little bit, and he made his decision to go back to the locker room and cool off. That's all I'm going to say about it. Everything is private."
Kerr reiterated that the move was Green's call, saying simply: "He left, he went back to the locker room. We moved forward, and the guys played great."
Green later returned to the bench for the fourth quarter, though Kerr admitted he would not have gone back to him in the moment.
"We need Draymond. He's a champion. We've been together for a long time," Kerr added. "It's unfortunate that it happened, but it happened."
Green himself said that moving forward will not be difficult because they have been together for a long time: "We move forward. We are alright."
"Tempers spilled over, and I just thought it was best that I get out of there," Green added. "It was best to remove myself."
"Basketball. It's what we do," he went on to say. "Basketball is an emotional game, people lose their emotions sometimes. It happens. It is what it is. ... Shit happens, and we move forward."
On the court, Green finished with nine points and seven rebounds in nearly 18 minutes of action.
With the win, Golden State improved its record to 15–15.
Draymond Green speaks on heated exchange with Steve Kerr:
Support BasketNews so we could make even better content.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.