Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10)
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) looks on before a game.
Key Points
Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr got into an argument during the Golden State Warriors’ game against the Orlando Magic on Monday. It resulted in Green leaving the bench and not playing in the final 20 minutes of the contest.
After the game, the two admitted that tempers flared, with Green opting to head to the locker room to cool down.
Fortunately for Green, he was not suspended for their Christmas Day showdown against the Dallas Mavericks. Prior to the game as well, Kerr took accountability for what happened and admitted it was not his “finest hour.”
Kerr also revealed that they apologized to each other and to the team for the incident, according to Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23)
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23)
Jimmy Butler, for his part, was asked about the altercation between Green and Kerr after the Warriors’ 126-116 win against the Mavericks on Thursday. The NBA veteran noted that it’s a common occurrence, especially for two competitors who have been together for so long and have achieved considerable success.
Butler added that he expected “that to happen” and “that’s okay” as long as they “move on” from it.
When further inquired about how Green and Kerr handled the situation during the game, with the two yelling at each other and his teammate walking out, Butler had no issue with it. In fact, he liked it.
“I like that. Y’all yell at each other. Turned me on a little bit. I’m not gonna lie,” Butler stated. “I like that. I like their confrontation. It’s good for us.”
Green started for the Warriors in the Mavericks game and finished with seven points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 28 minutes of action.
Clearly, Kerr and Green have put their fight behind them and are now focused on getting the Warriors back to contention. As for Butler, it doesn’t look like he’s worried at all, despite some concerns about how the heated exchange would affect the team.