Kendrick Perkins shared a message for Draymond Green on Friday after TMZ Sports released a video of the Golden State Warriors star punching teammate Jordan Poole during practice earlier this week.
Green apologized to Poole and the Warriors on Thursday, one day after the incident, but the footage was jarring, and Golden State reportedly is “aggressively investigating” both the altercation and how the video was leaked.
“Beyond that being a sucka move, Draymond needs to know what he did to Jordan Poole as a man, the Warriors as a team and his own legacy! Leadership is more than holding teammates accountable, you gotta check yourself too! Carry on…,” Perkins tweeted.
Perkins, a former NBA center turned-ESPN analyst, wasn’t alone in reacting to the video on social media. Former Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas also was among those taken aback by Green’s actions, which even prompted a lucrative offer from YouTube star/social media influencer/professional boxer Jake Paul.
It’s unclear how, or if, the Warriors will discipline Green. Just like it’s unclear what exactly precipitated the fight.
Nevertheless, the whole situation is wild. And it obviously raises questions about Green’s leadership. The four-time All-Star is a polarizing player, whose outspokenness on and off the court rubs some people the wrong way, but blasting a teammate in the face is unacceptable, and it certainly puts the Warriors in a difficult spot ahead of their NBA title defense.
Golden State, which defeated the Boston Celtics in last season’s NBA Finals, is scheduled to tip off its 2022-23 regular-season schedule Oct. 18 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
