Jordan Poole always will have his place in Warriors history.
The former first-round pick was a key piece to the Warriors' 2022 NBA championship. Without him, the Warriors' core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala likely don't win their fourth league title in eight NBA seasons.
These days, Poole resides near the nation's capital after the Warriors traded him to the Washington Wizards in the Chris Paul blockbuster this summer. An offensive spark plug off Golden State's bench the last two seasons, Poole now is building a core of his own alongside Kyle Kuzma, Tyus Jones and a village of youngsters.
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At Wizards Media Day on Monday, Poole was asked what he learned most over the last year-and-a-half of his career. After all, he celebrated a championship in a parade down the streets of San Francisco, was infamously punched by teammate Draymond Green, and was traded to Washington in a span of about 15 months.
"Resilience, of course. I like that one," Poole said. "Over-preparation. Just being able just to take in everything that I’ve taken in to the fullest at all times. There’s never a day that I took it for granted. ... Being able to get the chance to apply everything that I’ve learned to a really special situation [in Washington] from scratch."
Poole was Curry's understudy for four seasons. Few players can compare their game to the Warriors superstar, but Poole's offensive bursts at times reflected the patented Curry Flurries. It's what earned him the four-year, $125 million contract extension he signed last fall.
Now, Poole takes both the on-court and off-the-court lessons learned from Curry and his Warriors veterans to Washington. He's no longer the first man off the bench in coach Steve Kerr's rotation. He is being paid to be the Wizards' main building block.
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"As a basketball player, as a kid you want to grow up and be the face of the franchise," Poole said. "It’s a really cool situation because I feel like I’ve learned, I’ve asked a lot of questions to be prepared for this moment. We’ve also got guys in the locker room who are also ready for this as well."
The Warriors and Wizards square off twice this year -- on Dec. 22 at Chase Center and Feb. 27 in Washington, D.C. There will be plenty of talk about Poole's return, and the internet will be bracing for any beef between him and Green.
Nobody can repeat what Curry has done for the Warriors franchise over the last 14 seasons. But Poole has the blueprint, and now it's up to him to see what he can do with it in Washington.
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