Jordan Poole experienced all the possible highs and lows of NBA basketball in his first four years in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors. Poole played a crucial role in leading the team to the 2022 NBA Championship, but a rough championship defense season opened with veteran teammate Draymond Green punching him in practice.
This led to him being traded to the Washington Wizards after disappointing in the 2023 Playoffs. With two years on the rebuilding Wizards now, Poole revealed he is happy to be away from the piercing Warriors spotlight to Andscape.
“I was never a spotlight guy. Never cared for it. I just love to hoop. I love going out there and competing. But I’ve always risen to the occasion on the highest level, but I’ve been there.”
“I kind of was there senior year in high school, freshman year of college, sophomore year of college, all of my years in Golden State. It’s cool to have a little bit of a [break] off of it.”
“But honestly, I just like to hoop and then all of the other stuff will come with it. To be honest, my game would do the talking.”
After being drafted by the Warriors in 2019, Poole underwent two non-Playoff seasons for the franchise coming off a dynasty as he quietly developed. His emergence in their championship season was rapid, and it reportedly led to an inflated ego which irked Draymond behind the scenes. After the Warriors handed Poole a more lucrative contract than Green, things seemed to boil over and result in the punch and trade.
Poole averaged 17.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in a disappointing first season with the Wizards where he made headlines for his lowlights. The Wizards have been worse as a team this season, but Poole has found his scoring touch once again, averaging 21.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists.
Jordan Poole Embracing Being A Leader
With Poole as one of the oldest core players on a very young Wizards squad, he’s had to embrace being the locker room leader after Kyle Kuzma was traded away. Given his experience with the Warriors and being an NBA Champion, Poole can bring strong insight that could help young players. It seems to be as the Wizards have found three rookies emerge as real rotational pieces this season.
Poole reflected on how he’s become a leader of this young group of stars on the Wizards already.
“Authenticity being genuine. Going out there throughout the course of every day being myself. I like talking to the guys. We have a really good group in here. Our chemistry is good. So, when you want to see guys like belong — you want to see guys like Bilal, Alex, Bub, Corey and everybody just be successful — it brings a different energy to the room.”
“We got a really good group of guys. It’s more so playing with your homies and their friends out there as opposed to playing with co-workers or just teammates.”
The Wizards are 13-51 this season, destined to add another high-lottery pick to their growing core of young stars. Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Kyshawn George have already emerged as key pieces alongside Poole, and they likely will add another at the end of the talented 2025 NBA Draft.
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