Warriors Star Draymond Green Stormed Off Court During Game — But Coach Says He Shares Blame: 'Not My Finest Hour'

NEED TO KNOW

• Steve Kerr is accepting blame for a player's outburst
• After the Warriors coach and Draymond Green were involved in a heated exchange during a timeout on Monday, Dec. 22, the latter left the bench for the locker room mid-game
• "These things, they happen — especially when you get two incredibly competitive people like Dray and me,” Kerr said

Steve Kerr is taking the blame after NBA star Draymond Green stormed off the court mid-game earlier this week.

In a 15-minute explanation about the incident, the Golden State Warriors coach shared his perspective regarding the mercurial forward's decision to leave the bench halfway through the third quarter of the game against the Orlando Magic on Monday, Dec. 22.

"Monday night was not my finest hour, and that was a time I needed to be calm in the huddle," Kerr, 60, told reporters on Wednesday, Dec. 24. "I regret my actions in that exchange. I apologized to [Green]. He apologized to me. We both apologized to the team.”

In a video from the incident, Kerr is seen screaming at Green, 35, who in turn yells back in seeming frustration. The NBA veteran then got up and left for the locker room, only to return and sit on the bench for the fourth quarter.

"These things, they happen — especially when you get two incredibly competitive people like Dray and me,” Kerr said. “So, over the 12 years we've been together, this has happened occasionally, and I'm not proud of it."

For Green, in his 13th season in the league, his anger got the best of him, he told reporters.

“Tempers spilled over,” Green said. “And I thought it was best that I get out of there. I didn’t think it was a situation where it was going to get better. So, it was best to remove myself.”

As the 15-15 Warriors struggle to get their footing early in the season, Green even offered to forego his spot in the starting lineup, Kerr revealed.

“He told me, this year, ‘I'll go to the bench if you need me to.’ I know what Draymond is about," Kerr said. "He's about winning... That's not even a consideration for me right now.”

On Thursday, Dec. 25, the team takes on the Dallas Mavericks, where they’ll face rookie sensation Cooper Flagg — and be reunited with Klay Thompson, who played 13 seasons for Golden State.

Kerr called the franchise a “fading dynasty,” nearly a decade after the onset of their dominance, when they won four championships from 2015-2022.

Kerr’s career at Golden State has long been intertwined with Green’s, and it’s something that neither wants to end.

"One of the things I love about Draymond is his loyalty," Kerr said. "He's a loyal guy. He's loyal to the Warriors. He's loyal to me. He's loyal to Steph. He wants to be here his whole career. I want nothing more than that."

Green agreed.

"We've been at this now for a long time,” he said. “So, sometimes when you’re with people for a long time, there's a level of comfort, and s--t happens. We move forward.”

Read the original article on People