When the Golden State Warriors dealt shooting guard Jordan Poole last month, they gave their ill-fated “death lineup” a deadly injection. Poole made public comments over the weekend on his departure from the Bay Area and his former teammates.
On Saturday, July 8, the expelled member of a Big 4 that was never truly a Big 4 discussed his connections with the players he left behind, including backcourt colleagues Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
“Those are the two greatest shooters of all time … and it’s just things that you learn in practice, in the game, on the road, that you wouldn’t be able to learn not being in the mix. I’m thankful for that,” Poole said, per Twitter video of a Washington Wizards press conference posted by Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
“I’ve also built a relationship to where I can ask them. I can text Steph. I can text Klay. I can call them and just have a conversation. So that doesn’t leave, that doesn’t go anywhere,” Poole continued. “If anything, I just know the plays that they run — the split action and high ball screens, so competitive advantage.”
Jordan Poole’s Actions Speak Louder Than Words on Draymond Green
The argument between Poole and controversial figure and former teammate Draymond Green was not captured on camera. It’s not apparent if Green-specific inquiries were made at all.
In the wake of Green punching Poole during the preseason, Poole did talk to Logan Murdock of The Ringer about their friendship. A few days after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Golden State 4-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals, ending the Warriors’ postseason journey, the story was released on May 15.
“I don’t have no answer for you other than that we was just on the court and teammates, and we was out there trying to win games,” Poole told Murdock. “It’s just business, honestly. And that’s really all it was, it is, it has been. It’s just been business. It’s been basketball.”
Prior to that statement, Poole didn’t mention Green much, and ever after, he has largely avoided mentioning the name. However, shortly after Green’s trade to the Wizards became official, Poole abruptly stopped following him on social media.
For the time being, it appears that Poole still has good relationships with Curry and Thompson, bad relationships with Green, and an undefined connection with the team that signed him to a four-year, $128 million contract — for which Washington and/or a future franchise (or franchises) will ultimately be responsible.
The fact that the “death lineup” won an NBA Championship in 2021–2022 is what matters most, and Poole played a significant role in both their regular season and postseason success. Poole and Warriors Nation will always be connected no matter what else occurs.
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