It has been almost a year since Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green punched his former teammate Jordan Poole during practice. The leaked video surfaced last October before the start of the season, leaving fans worried about the internal problems in the Warriors team. In the aftermath, Draymond was fined and took some time off from team activities. And, Jordan Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards after the end of the 2022-23 season.

Now that the dust has settled on the incident, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard provided a fresh perspective on the infamous “Punch” of Draymond Green.

Damian Lillard defends Draymond Green

Damian Lillard was a guest on the It Is What It Is Podcast and chimed in on the Jordan Poole “Punch” incident from last October. Dame revealed that his first thought after watching the leaked video was that things might have escalated between the two former teammates because of their trash-talking nature on the court. Having faced both Draymond and Poole on several occasions, Dame has had his share of heated verbal altercations with them during games. “I don’t see Draymond like just clicking off like that.” Lillard said knowing the veteran Warriors Center for years. The 7-time All-Star believes that the tension between Poole and Draymond had to be built up for a long time.