Warriors Fine Without Suspension

On October 12, 2022, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr confirmed the team’s disciplinary decision in response to Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole during the October 5 practice. Speaking to media, Kerr said Green would be fined but not suspended, and that Green would rejoin practice on Thursday, timing the resolution ahead of the season opener [4]. Kerr underscored the gravity of what the organization had navigated: “This is the biggest crisis that we've ever had since I've been coaching. It's really serious stuff” [4]. The outcome followed a rapid sequence: the incident on October 5; public reports on October 6; TMZ’s video leak on October 7; and Green’s October 8 apology and temporary leave [6,1,2]. The team faced intense scrutiny about whether a suspension was warranted, especially after the video’s release. Kerr’s announcement balanced acknowledgement of severity with a decision to keep Green available to play, an approach that aligned with the franchise’s broader goals but drew debate in media circles. Kerr did not detail the fine amount. He framed the approach as part of a collaborative internal process designed to address harm within the locker room while enabling the team to move forward competitively [4]. The decision established the near-term operating reality for both Green and Poole, who remained teammates for the 2022–23 season.

The decision to levy a fine without a suspension defined the organization’s stance and influenced public perception of accountability. Kerr’s characterization of the episode as his tenure’s “biggest crisis” acknowledged the seriousness even as the team kept its core intact for a title defense [4]. The choice affected trust dynamics inside the locker room and became a touchstone for later debates about whether the relationship could be repaired, especially after the video made the punch widely visible [1,4]. This moment also set context for later developments, including Poole’s trade the following summer and Green’s ongoing public attempts to reconcile the incident through statements and podcasts [12,13,10,11].

Following Kerr’s announcement, Green rejoined team activities and the Warriors proceeded with the regular season under the fine-only discipline [4]. While day-to-day operations resumed, the incident’s visibility persisted. After the 2022–23 season, on June 22, 2023, reports indicated the Warriors had agreed to trade Poole to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul, with the deal completed on July 6, 2023 [12,13]. In July 2023, Green discussed the punch on the Pat Bev Podcast, saying, “I don’t just hit people… We know stuff that you don’t say amongst men,” while Poole’s father criticized Green on Twitter the next day [7,8]. In January 2025, Green again issued a public apology on X—“I really am sorry”—and urged closure on his podcast: “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have punched him. But it happened. Let’s move on” [10,11].