Draymond Green’s mom, Mary Babers Green, defended her son Monday on Twitter after video emerged of the Warriors forward punching teammate Jordan Poole during practice.
In a message that has since been deleted, Babers Green — who has long been vocal on social media over matters engulfing the NBA — tweeted, “That wasn’t a Sucker punch. Dray didn’t aggressively go to Poole. His hands were down. Man to Man you go over to talk (to ask what’s up, what you say)! Got shoved and reacted.. End of story!”
She also remarked that the two “can get beyond this,” and “anything is fixable,” per NBC Sports. Her account is no longer active as of Tuesday afternoon.
Babers Green’s tweets come days after tensions boiled over at last Wednesday’s Warriors practice. In footage obtained by TMZ Sports, Poole and Green appear to exchange words before the 23-year-old Poole shoved Green, 32, who then threw a punch that connected with the guard’s face.
On Saturday, Green said he would step away from the team “for a few days” to focus on himself and allow the Warriors to “heal.”
“There’s a huge embarrassment that comes with [this]. Not only for myself, as I was the one who committed the action … but the embarrassment that Jordan has to deal with and that this team has to deal with, this organization has to deal with. But also Jordan’s family. His family saw that video. His mother, his father saw that video. If my mother saw that video, I know how my mother would feel,” Green said.
Green, a four-time NBA champion, is said to have apologized to the team on Thursday, according to Warriors GM Bob Myers. The organization is taking “every legal course of action” to determine how the footage was leaked, per ESPN.
The Warriors, coming off their fourth NBA title in eight years, will open the 2022-23 season against the Lakers next Tuesday, Oct. 18.