Daniel Richard "Danny" Green, Jr. (born June 22, 1987) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a swingman from the University of North Carolina, where he played in more games (145) and had more wins (123) than any Tar Heel before him. Green is also the only player in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 150 three-pointers, 150 blocks and 150 steals. He won an NCAA championship his senior year and was subsequently drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 46th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. During the 2013 NBA Finals, Green set an NBA record for most three-point field goals made in a Finals series. He then won an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs the following season, and became just the third player from UNC to win an NCAA championship and an NBA championship, the two others being James Worthy, and Michael Jordan. Known for his perimeter defense and three-point shooting, Green has been a key contributor on both ends on the floor throughout his NBA career, having been selected to his first NBA All-Defensive Second Team in the 2016-17 NBA season.
High school career
As a high school freshman, Green attended North Babylon High School in North Babylon, New York on Long Island and in addition to basketball, he played quarterback on the football team. From his sophomore onwards, Green attended St. Mary's High School, a private school, in Manhasset, New York. He averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks as a senior.
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Green was listed as the No. 8 shooting guard and the No. 31 player in the nation in 2005.
College career
Green came off the bench as the sixth man during his freshman year at UNC. He averaged 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in his sophomore season. After his second year at North Carolina Green considered transferring, but would ultimately finish his college career there. Green improved his scoring average in each of the next two seasons.
Green's junior year, he averaged 11.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.9 turnovers, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks in 22.3 minutes per game. He also improved his true shooting percentage (TS%) significantly, increasing his field goal percentage to 46.9% and his free throw percentage to 87.3%. He shot 37.3% from the three-point line.
Approaching his senior season, he declared himself eligible for the 2008 NBA Draft, but did not sign with an agent so that he had the option to return to school, which he decided to do on June 16. He went on to average 13.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 turnovers, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game. He again improved his shooting percentages, averaging 47.1% and 41.8% from the field and three-point line respectively. In his senior year, Green was selected to be a member of the ACC's All-Defensive Team. He was also named as a team captain along with Bobby Frasor and Tyler Hansbrough.
Achievements at UNC
- Part of the 2009 national championship team's starting five. Green logged a solid overall Final Four performance with 18 total points including six made three-pointers, six rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and one steal.
- Green is the only Tar Heel ever to have 1,000 points (1,368), 500 rebounds (590), 200 assists (256), 100 blocks (155) and 100 steals (160)
- One of four players in ACC history with 100 blocked shots and 100 three-point field goals (with Duke's Shane Battier, Maryland's Terence Morris and Wake Forest's Josh Howard)
- Played in 145 games and been a part of 123 wins setting a new UNC record (record of 115 previously held by Sam Perkins)
- Scored 1,368 career points (9.4 per game)
- Passed Vince Carter in scoring at Virginia Tech on March 4, 2009
- Blocked a career-high 7 shots in the win at Duke on March 8, 2008
- Only Tar Heel ever to block 100 or more shots and make 50 or more three-pointers
- Scored in double figures 63 times (nine times in 2005â€"2006, four times in 2006â€"2007, 24 times in 2007â€"08 and 26 times in 2008â€"2009)
- Scored 20 or more points seven times in his career, including five times in 2009
- Led Carolina in blocked shots as a freshman with 32 and was second the next three seasons
- UNC's defensive player of the game 15 times (twice as a sophomore, six times as a junior and seven times as a senior)
- Played in four wins at Duke, joining Tyler Hansbrough and Wake Forest's Tim Duncan and Rusty LaRue as the only players to do that against Mike Krzyzewski-coached teams.
College career highs
- Points: 26 at Chaminade (11/24/08)
- Field Goals: 11 at Chaminade (11/24/08)
- Three-Pointers: 6 vs. UNC Asheville (11/30/08)
- Free Throws: 7 at Wake Forest (1/11/09)
- Offensive Rebounds: 6 vs. NC State (1/12/08)
- Rebounds: 14 vs. NC State (1/12/08)
- Assists: 7 vs. Dayton (12/31/06), UNC Asheville (1/9/08), Gonzaga (3/27/09)
- Turnovers: 6 at Florida State (1/28/09)
- Blocks: 7 at Duke (3/8/08)
- Steals: 6 at Florida State (1/28/09)
Professional career
Cleveland Cavaliers (2009â€"2010)
The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Green as the 46th overall pick of the 2009 NBA draft. After he played in 20 games in his rookie year with the Cavaliers, the team waived Green at the beginning of the next season.
San Antonio Spurs (2010â€"present)
Green was subsequently picked up by the San Antonio Spurs on November 17, 2010. The Spurs waived him six days later after he appeared in two games. In January 2011, Green was acquired by the Reno Bighorns of the NBA D-League. He averaged 20 points, a team high, and 7.5 rebounds in 16 games with the Bighorns. The Spurs signed Green again in March 2011, assigned him to the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League on April 2, and then recalled him on April 3.
In August 2011, Green signed a one-year contract with KK Union Olimpija, which included an NBA-out clause option when the 2011 NBA lockout ended. Green returned to the Spurs after the lockout ended. Green had a breakout season, as he started 38 of his 66 games played, averaging 9.1 ppg. Green eventually became the starting shooting guard for the Spurs when Manu Ginóbili returned to being the sixth man in the rotation. Green finished ninth in the league in voting for the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
On July 11, 2012, Green re-signed with the Spurs for $12 million over three years. In his first game of the season, he scored 9 points and added 2 blocks in San Antonio's win over New Orleans. On November 1, 2012, he scored 13 points in a win over the Thunder. Then on November 3, Danny Green scored 21 points to help the Spurs beat the Utah Jazz in a 110â€"100 win. On November 13, 2012, he hit a game-winner against the Los Angeles Lakers, finishing the game with 11 points. On February 6, 2013, Green recorded career-highs of 28 points and 8 three-pointers made in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was one three-pointer shy of Chuck Person's record for most three-pointers made in a single game as a Spur.
In Game 2 of the 2013 NBA Finals, Green was perfect from the field, including 5â€"5 from the three-point line. However, the Spurs lost in a blowout to the Miami Heat, 103â€"84. In Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Green hit 7â€"9 from three-point range, including the one to set a Finals record for most three-pointers in a game by a team. He notched 27 total points in the Spurs' blowout 113â€"77 victory as the team took a 2â€"1 series lead in the process. On June 16 in Game 5, Green made six three pointers for a total of 25 in the series to that point, breaking the record for an NBA Finals series previously held by Ray Allen, who made 22 in six games with the Boston Celtics in 2008. By the end of the series, Green had made 27 three-pointers, but the Spurs lost the series in seven games. The record was later broken by Stephen Curry in 2016.
On April 11, 2014, Green scored a career high 33 points in a 112-104 win over the Phoenix Suns. On June 15, 2014, Green won his first NBA championship after the Spurs defeated the Miami Heat 4 games to 1 in the 2014 NBA Finals. In doing so, Green joined Michael Jordan and James Worthy as the third Tar Heel to win both the NCAA and NBA championship.
On December 19, 2014, Green scored a season-high 27 points in the 119-129 triple overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. On April 12, 2015, Green recorded 3 three-pointers against the Phoenix Suns to set a franchise record for the most three-pointers in a season at 191.
On July 14, 2015, Green re-signed with the Spurs to a reported four-year, $45 million contract. On January 6, 2016, Green hit two three-pointers against the Utah Jazz, giving him 662 with San Antonio to surpass Bruce Bowen (661) for second in franchise history.
On November 9, 2016, Green made his season debut for San Antonio, scoring eight points against the Houston Rockets in his return from a strained left quadriceps. At the season's end, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
Personal life
Green's brother, Rashad, played for Manhattan College in 2007â€"08 and the University of San Francisco from 2009 to 2012. His younger brother, Devonte, plays for Indiana University. His second cousin is NBA player Gerald Green. A first cousin, Jordan Green, went to Texas A&M. and a third cousin, Willie Green, of Detroit Mercy.
After Green's freshman season at UNC in 2006 his father, Danny Green Sr., was arrested on drug trafficking charges along with 13 other people. Police confiscated 462 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated street value of $40Â million, as well as $5Â million in cash, marijuana and assorted firearms. Green Sr., a gym teacher, said he had no connection to the drug trafficking ring. He pleaded not guilty and bail was set at $7.5Â million cash. After Green Sr. was in jail for 18 months, officials offered him a lesser charge of conspiracy that would include time served and get him out of jail within six months. He was paroled on January 28, 2008 after serving 22 months in prison.
Green was well known for dancing to the song Jump Around to pump up the crowd before most of the University of North Carolina home games.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 145 games played
References
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com, or Basketball-Reference.com
- UNC bio
- Scout.com Profile
- ESPN.com Profile