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PHOENIX, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 18: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors reacts during the final moments of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on December 18, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 99-98. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors have lived through plenty of sideline blowups over the years. Draymond Green arguing with officials. Draymond Green jawing with teammates. Draymond Green pushing limits with head coach Steve Kerr.
None of that is new.
What felt different this week was the context around it.
That’s how former Warriors guard Nick Young framed it while discussing the latest Green–Kerr exchange on The Arena, hosted by Gilbert Arenas.
Young, who spent the 2017–18 season with Golden State, has seen these moments up close before. But in his view, this one landed differently because the team around it looks different.
Why This Warriors Moment Felt Different
GettyDraymond Green and Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors.
Young didn’t suggest the argument itself was unusual. In fact, he said the opposite.
According to Young, clashes between Draymond Green and Steve Kerr have happened before, including during far more dominant Warriors seasons. He recalled a particularly heated exchange from years ago that required teammates to physically separate both sides.
The difference now, in his eyes, is what surrounds it.
This is not the same championship-caliber Warriors group that once absorbed tension and kept rolling. The margin for error feels thinner. The roster is younger. The roles are less settled. And the team is hovering around .500 rather than chasing history.
That context matters.
What Happened on the Bench
The exchange occurred during a timeout in Monday night’s win over the Orlando Magic. After a frustrating sequence, Kerr called time and the conversation escalated quickly.
Green ultimately left the bench and returned to the locker room, not re-entering the game.
Draymond went to the locker room after an apparent argument with Steve Kerr
He did not play the final 20 minutes of the game
(via @shubhydoo)
Postgame, both sides downplayed the moment.
Green described it as emotions boiling over and said stepping away felt like the right call. Kerr echoed that sentiment, framing it as a brief loss of focus that the team moved past.
And move past it they did.
Golden State closed the night with a dominant second half, pulling away for a comfortable win.
“Tempers spilled over, and I just thought it was best that I get out of there.”
Draymond Green shares his side of his tense exchange with Steve Kerr on the Warriors’ bench
Why the Reaction Matters More Than the Argument
Young’s point wasn’t about blame or fallout. It was about timing.
In previous seasons, these moments happened within a structure that felt unshakeable. Championships, chemistry, and certainty insulated everything else.
This version of the Warriors doesn’t have that same cushion.
That doesn’t mean the situation will linger. Both Kerr and Green have insisted it won’t. But it does explain why outside voices are reading the moment differently than they might have five years ago.
Final Word for the Warriors
GettyGolden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, from left, Stephen Curry #30 and Draymond Green #23 pose for photos during an Olympic Gold Medal recognition ceremony before their preseason game against the Sacramento Kings.
The Warriors have navigated tension before and emerged stronger.
This episode did not derail the night, the game, or the immediate direction of the team. But it did serve as a reminder of where Golden State is right now — competitive, searching, and still defining itself.
Whether this moment fades quickly or becomes part of a larger storyline will depend less on what was said during a timeout and more on what the Warriors look like when the games start to matter again.
That answer is still coming.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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