The Golden State Warriors cruised past the Orlando Magic on Monday night to even their record at 15-15 on the year. Draymond Green scored nine points in 18 minutes and had one major blowup after an argument with coach Steve Kerr.
During a timeout in the third quarter, Kerr and Green exchanged animated words for a bit before the veteran forward decided to remove himself from the situation. Green would spend most of the second half in the locker room before returning for the finish.
Draymond Green & Steve Kerr exchange words.
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"Tempers spilled over," Green said when asked to explain what happened. "I just thought it was best that I get out of there. I don't think there was a situation where it was going to get better. So it was just best to remove myself."
Draymond Green:
— Guru (@DrGuru_) December 23, 2025
"Tempers spilled over. I just thought it was best that I get out of there. I don't think there was a situation where it was going to get better. So it was just best to remove myself...sh*t happens. We move forward. We alright"
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"S--- happens," he continued. "We move forward. We fight."
Kerr did not get into many details or specifics, but made it clear that he did not send Green to the locker room.
“We got into it, obviously," he said. "We had it out a little bit, and he made his decision to go back to the locker room to cool off. That’s all I’m gonna say about it, everything is private. I’ve got nothing further to add.”
Steve Kerr said Draymond Green chose to go to the locker room after the two had a heated argument during an early third quarter timeout. He wasn’t sent there. Green returned to bench for fourth quarter but Kerr said he wouldn’t have gone back to Green.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 23, 2025
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The natural gut reaction to seeing a player just up and leave the court after getting into it with their coach is to think it's bad. But in this case, there's a tremendous amount of shared history and winning. Plus Green has made his bones as an emotional leader who doesn't shy away from conflict. There's been plenty of moments of friction during his long tenure in Golden State and none of that has stood in the way of winning a tremendous amount of basketball games with Kerr.
So it remains to be seen if this is a big deal, small deal or medium-sized deal. Or hey, perhaps even forgotten by the next practice.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Draymond Green Walked to the Locker Room After Heated Argument With Steve Kerr.