On Monday night, the Golden State Warriors saw the return of star man Stephen Curry to the lineup following a three-game absence due to an ankle injury. The Warriors traveled to the nation’s capital to face a friend turned foe in Jordan Poole, who has become the leader of a young Washington Wizards squad. In the end, the Warriors took care of business, taking a 125-114 victory for their fourth consecutive win.

Time is flying by so fast in that Poole is already in his second season with the Wizards following his unceremonious exit from the Warriors. Nevertheless, Poole will forever be remembered by the Warriors faithful as one of the major contributors in their 2022 championship run, and it looks like his relationship with Curry remains as strong as ever despite all the bridges that were burned around them.

Following the Warriors’ win, cameras caught Curry and Poole dapping each other up as if they were still teammates, which should be a good sight especially for those who feel as though Poole was hard done by the manner in which he lost his footing in the organization.

Fittingly, Curry and Poole ended up leading their respective teams in scoring, with 24 points each. The Warriors star showed little rust upon his return from injury, while the Wizards guard continued his promising start to the season as the undisputed lead guard of a team that many expect will end up in the bottom of the NBA standings.

Poole seems to be thriving now that he’s far from the spotlight that comes with playing alongside Curry on the Warriors. Last season may have been a rough patch for him as he transitioned to a new role for a new team, but he’s looking as comfortable as he’s ever been since the Warriors won the 2022 NBA championship.

Jordan Poole and the Warriors’ doomed relationship

Jordan Poole was supposed to be the leader of the young core that the Warriors will rely upon once the Stephen Curry era draws to an end. Poole was exhibiting the qualities of a go-to scorer in the NBA, and the 2022 playoffs showed that he can step up for the team when it matters the most.

However, this simply was not meant to be for Poole. Thanks to the punch heard ’round the world, the Warriors basically had to choose between Poole and Draymond Green — opting to go with the latter due to his ability to anchor the team’s defense.

But as is the case with all good things, they must come to an end. This was a necessary separation, and both sides appear to be better off following the split — at least two seasons in, that is. The Warriors have been thriving to begin the year as they have gone all out on the three-point barrage, and the Wizards appear to be building something nice — with Poole being tasked to expand his game as the team’s lead guard.

The next matchup between the Warriors and Wizards will be coming on January 18, 2025.