An emotional sideline confrontation between Steve Kerr and Draymond Green earlier this week quickly became a moment of reflection for the Golden State Warriors, rather than a breaking point.
The exchange occurred during the third quarter of Golden State’s win over the Orlando Magic, when Kerr and Green were seen in a heated timeout discussion that led to Green briefly leaving the bench and not returning to the game.
Two days later, Kerr addressed the situation head-on.
“That was a time I needed to be calm in the huddle, and so I regret my actions in that exchange,” Kerr said Wednesday.
“These things, they happen, especially when you get two incredibly competitive people like Dray and me. So over the 12 years we’ve been together, this has happened occasionally, and I’m not proud of it.”
Kerr confirmed that the tension was resolved quickly, explaining that both he and Green took responsibility in front of the group.
“I regret my actions in that exchange and I apologized to Dray, he apologized to me. We both apologized to the team,” he said, per Warriors reporter Kenzo Fukuda.
Their relationship, Kerr emphasized, is deeply personal and foundational to the franchise’s success.
“I care so much about Draymond, and the relationship we have is like family. And like family, you go through ups and downs,” Kerr said. “My number one goal honestly is for him to finish his career as a Warrior with us fighting – metaphorically, not literally — and competing together until we’re both gone. And I believe that’s going to happen because I believe in Draymond, and I believe in myself and I believe in everything we’ve built for 12 years.”
Beyond the incident itself, Kerr used the moment to frame where Golden State now stands as a franchise.
“We are no longer the 17 Warriors, dominating the league. We are a fading dynasty. We know that. Everyone knows that,” Kerr said.
“So what is up to us? How do we carry ourselves night to night? How connected are we? And can we give ourselves another swing at the plate?”
READ MORE: Draymond Green Explains Sideline Blow-Up With Steve Kerr
