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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr got into a heated incident on the bench during their game against the Orlando Magic on Monday night, leading to the player storming into the locker room.
Green and Kerr were seen having an animated back and forth during a timeout in the third quarter. Green then got up and removed himself from the situation and went back to the locker room to cool off. Kerr said that even when Green returned to the bench for the remainder of the game, he would not play.
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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green yells at the referee during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in San Francisco (AP Photo/Justine Willard)
“Obviously we got into it and I took the timeout just because I thought we lost our focus a little bit there,” Kerr said. “We had it out for a little bit and he made his decision to go back to the locker room to cool off and that’s all I’m going to say about it. Everything is private. I have nothing more to add.”
Green had nine points and seven rebounds in the Warriors’ 120-97 win.
“Tempers were running high and I just thought it was best that I got out of there,” Green said. “I don’t think there was a situation where it was going to get any better, so it was just best to remove myself. That was it.”
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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, center, watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in San Francisco (AP Photo/Justine Willard)
Green said he was available to play, but it wasn’t his decision. The Warriors improved to 15-15, but the record was not quite what the team had hoped for. Green said: “That’s probably why tempers flare.”
“Basketball, that’s what we do,” he said of what caused the frustration. “We play basketball, it’s an emotional game. People lose their emotions sometimes, it happens.”
Kerr said he didn’t think the problem would stick.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) argues with an official against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter at Chase Center on Dec. 22, 2025. (Eakin Howard/Imagn Images)
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“The group is ready to go, you could see in the game tonight,” he explained. “We need Draymond. He’s a champion. We’ve been together a long time. All we can do is the rest of the group keep pushing, keep getting better. I thought this was one of our better games. I thought the first half was brilliant – we just didn’t make shots. I thought Draymond played great.”
