Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan is a 14-year NBA veteran. He has seen it all and done it all.
Because of that, DeRozan can offer a uniquely qualified perspective on things involving basketball that few others can match.
Case in point: this week when he offered his take on the infamous punch Draymond Green threw at Jordan Poole during a Golden State Warriors practice last summer.
DeRozan kept it real.
“One, we don’t know what happened, what was said,” DeRozan told David Aldridge of The Athletic. “And granted, I’ve been in plenty of gyms, practices, where altercations happened, whether it was two guys or a group of guys. And a lot of times when I’ve been around that, you come back even better.
“Especially when the guys understand what was at hand. So, for me, I definitely look at it from a different light.”
DeRozan then drew on an analogy to cement his point further.
“That’s what families do,” he continued. “It sucks that everybody puts their opinions on it, but it happens.”
At this point, everyone has weighed in on what happened between Poole and Green.
Kevin Durant offered his two cents on it, suggesting it was neither normal nor okay.
Klay Thompson offered a differing perspective, more in line with DeRozan’s. He seemed to believe it wasn’t that big of a deal and that everyone should move on.
Poole himself has also come out and addressed the situation, revealing where his relationship with Green presently stands.
Because of how fresh the incident still is in everyone’s minds, it’s unsurprising that so many people are commenting on it.
That said, the Warriors also aren’t really doing their part in making the dialogue go away. If they were winning and the players were firing on all cylinders, this would cease to be as much of a talking point as it remains.
Some are now calling Rachel Stuhlmann the biggest star in all of tennis. https://t.co/I6q6F0ylYF
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 27, 2022
However, because Golden State is 2-2 and looks a bit rough every time the team takes the floor, it’s hard to shake the feeling that something is amiss.
If the Warriors get back on track and start winning consistently, everyone will likely move on.
Should the tough times continue, though – don’t be surprised if the Green-Poole confrontation remains a topic of conversation for the entirety of the 2022-23 NBA season.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
