Gerald Green (born January 26, 1986) is an American former professionalbasketball player. He was drafted by theBoston Celtics with the 18th overall pick in the2005 NBA draft. Known for his dunking skill, he has performed well in many slam dunk competitions, having won the 2005 McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Contest and the2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, while finishing as the runner-up in the2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.[1]
Green was born inHouston, Texas. When he was in the 6th grade, he was involved in an accident that left a significant portion of his rightring finger cut off. He was wearing a ring on his right ring finger when he attempted adunk on a makeshift basketball hoop. The ring caught onto a nail on the goal and his finger was ripped, withamputation being the only option.[2]
Green did not play high school basketball until his sophomore year, when he played juniorvarsity forJ. Frank Dobie High School. In his junior year, he made the varsity team, but his play was cut short because of academic issues.[3]
Green transferred to a charter school,Gulf Shores Academy in Houston where he repeated his junior year.[3] In his senior year at Gulf Shores, he averaged 33 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocked shots per game. He was named an All-American and was the high scorer with 24 points in the2005 McDonald's All-American Game,[4] which features two teams composed of the best high school basketball players in the United States. Green also won the McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Contest that year, defeating futureDuke playerJosh McRoberts.
Considered a five-star recruit byRivals.com, Green was listed as the No. 1 player in the nation in 2005.[5]
Green originally committed toOklahoma State University, but later decided to enter theNBA draft upon graduation. He hired an agent, thereby making himself ineligible to participate inNCAA athletics.
Green was expected by many analysts to be one of the top players chosen but he fell to the Celtics, who selected him with the 18th pick in the2005 NBA draft. His fall is attributed to his decision to give individual workouts only for the teams with the top six picks prior to the draft.[3]
Green was one of the last players to enter the NBA directly from high school, as the collective bargaining agreement between NBA owners and theNational Basketball Players Association now mandates that American players who enter the draft must be at least one year removed from the graduation of their high school class and reach age 19 no later than December 31 of the calendar year of the draft.[3]
During the preseason, Green averaged 8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game for the Celtics in the 2005 Las Vegas Summer League.[6]
After seeing limited playing time during the first part of the season, Green was placed on theFayetteville Patriots of theNBA D-League by the Celtics in January 2006. He was recalled and activated to an NBA roster position on February 3. He was reassigned to the NBDL, to theFlorida Flame, on February 16. He was recalled and activated again on February 21, and saw his first significant NBA game action on the following night, scoring 13 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in 23 minutes.
He appeared in 32 games and averaged 11.8 minutes, 5.2 points, and 1.2 rebounds during these contests. Green left marks on the league with his highlight plays including a shot clock beating half court three against Indiana and twoSportsCenter top play dunks in the closing seconds in two games against theToronto Raptors.
Over the off-season, Green aimed at improving all aspects of his game in order to gain playing time. He had shown flashes of his capability during the end of the 2005–06 season, but started off the 2006–07 season slowly, earning a somewhat limited role and playing time behind captainPaul Pierce, and swingmanWally Szczerbiak. With injuries to Szczerbiak and Pierce, his playing time increased, but he was unable to nail down a starting role. Green started his first-ever game early December against thePhiladelphia 76ers, but then lost his job to a returning Szczerbiak. Green finished the 2006–07 season averaging 10.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
On February 17, 2007, Green won the 2007NBA Slam Dunk Contest, beating outNate Robinson,Tyrus Thomas, andDwight Howard.
The season was going very well for Green. On March 16, 2007, he scored a career-high 25 points in a Celtics loss to theDallas Mavericks,[7][8] and on April 10, 2007, Green topped that with 33 points (12–22 FG, 4–5 3FG) atAtlanta.[7]
On July 31, 2007, it was made official that Green was to be traded along withAl Jefferson,Ryan Gomes,Theo Ratliff,Sebastian Telfair, and draft picks, to theMinnesota Timberwolves forKevin Garnett.[9]
At Minnesota, Green found himself stuck on the bench behind a number of players at his same position. In early January 2008, Green's agent asked the Timberwolves to trade his client.[10]
At the2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Green opened the competition with a dunk he called "The Birthday Cake" in which he blew out a birthday candle on a cupcake set on the back of the rim while dunking. He followed that up with an alley-oop two-handed windmill. His first dunk of the second round was an alley-oop from behind the basket which he put between his legs before dunking. His final dunk of the night was a between-the-legs one-handed slam that he performed after taking off his shoes. He ended up finishing second toDwight Howard, after Howard received seventy-eight percent of the votes cast by fans through text message.[11][12]
On February 21, 2008, Green was traded to his hometown teamHouston Rockets forKirk Snyder, a2010 second-round draft pick, and cash considerations. He was subsequently released by the Rockets on March 8[13] and became an unrestricted free agent in July.
On July 1, 2008, Green signed with theDallas Mavericks. His agent Colin Bryant toldFox 26 Sports, "We have a verbal agreement with Dallas on a one year contract, We talked to a number of teams and there is more money out there, but this is the best situation for Gerald at this point in his career."[14]
Green was not supposed to go to the summer league, but chose to go to learn the plays and get a feeling of the Mavericks organization early and not let his chance slip away. In theVegas Summer League he averaged an underwhelming 13.3 ppg and 3.8 rpg on 38% shooting from the field. On a bright note, he was 43% from beyond the arc. Following the Vegas Summer League, the Mavericks and Green participated in theRocky Mountain Revue, a summer league held in Salt Lake City, Utah. There in just 25.8 mpg Green averaged 17.7 ppg to go with 2.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1 spg, .5 bpg, and a respectable 2.2 topg. This time around, Green shot a much more impressive 45%, including going 12 for 26 from behind the three point line (46%), and 28–31 from the free throw line (90%). His overall performance was enough to earn him All-Revue Team honors.
Green signed withPBC Lokomotiv Kuban of Russia in December 2009.[15] The Lokomotiv Kuban waived him in June 2010.
Green was named to theLos Angeles Lakers roster for the 2010 NBA Summer League.[16] After the Summer League, he signed withBC Krasnye Krylya, also a Russian team.[17]
In October 2011, Green moved to China, signing a one-year contract with theFoshan Dralions.[18] On December 2, 2011, Green was released by Foshan.[19]
On December 13, 2011, Green signed with theLos Angeles Lakers as an opportunity to return to the NBA. However, Green was waived by the Lakers on December 22 just days before the shortened regular season began.[20]
On December 28, 2011, Green signed with theLos Angeles D-Fenders of theNBA Development League. He played at theNBA D-League All-Star Game and was awarded the NBA D-League All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. Over the season, he averaged 19.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He recorded a season-high of 35 points against theErie BayHawks.[21]
TheNew Jersey Nets signed Green to a 10-day contract on February 27, 2012. He was signed to a second 10-day contract on March 8, 2012. His dunk against the Houston Rockets on March 10, 2012, was called "one of the dirtiest in-game windmill alley-oops in NBA history".[22] On March 18, 2012, he was signed for the rest of the season. Through the season he averaged 12.9 points, 1.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 31 games played.
On July 12, 2012, Green signed with theIndiana Pacers.[23] During the 2013 All-Star weekend, Green participated in his thirdNBA Slam Dunk Contest.
On July 27, 2013, Green was traded to thePhoenix Suns alongsideMiles Plumlee anda future first-round pick forLuis Scola.[24] Green started for the Suns when fellow guardsGoran Dragić andEric Bledsoe were injured during their respective periods in November 2013. He received more starting time with the Suns after Bledsoe had a major knee injury during January, February, and early March 2014. Throughout this period, Green would take over some games as being the team's leading scorer, including a 112–107 overtime victory against theDenver Nuggets, in which he'd record a then-career-high 36 points against them, which included making 8 of the team's 13 points in overtime.[25]
On March 6, 2014, Green recorded a new career-high 41 points, including a career-high 8 made three-pointers, in a 128–122 victory over theOklahoma City Thunder.[26] WhenEric Bledsoe returned to action on March 12, 2014, Green returned to his bench role. Green finished the season with new career highs in points per game and free-throw percentage. As a result, he finished fourth in theNBA Most Improved Player Award behindAnthony Davis,Lance Stephenson, and Green's teammate Goran Dragić.
On April 8, 2015, Green scored a season-high 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting in a 104–107 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.[27]
On July 9, 2015, Green signed with theMiami Heat.[28] He made his debut for the Heat in the team's season opener against the Charlotte Hornets on October 28, scoring 19 points off the bench in a 104–94 win.[29] On November 27, he scored a season-high 25 points while starting in place of the injuredLuol Deng, helping the Heat defeat the New York Knicks 97–78.[30] He topped that mark on April 1, 2016, scoring 30 points while starting in place of the injuredDwyane Wade, helping the Heat defeat the Sacramento Kings 112–106.[31]
On July 27, 2016, Green signed with theBoston Celtics, returning to the franchise for a second stint.[32] On December 27, 2016, he scored a season-high 19 points in a 113–103 win over theMemphis Grizzlies.[33] On April 23, 2017, in Game 4 of the Celtics' first-round playoff series against theChicago Bulls, Green had a postseason career-high 18 points, 16 of which were tallied before halftime.[34]
On September 24, 2017, Green signed with theMilwaukee Bucks.[35] He was waived on October 14, after appearing in four preseason games.[36]
On December 28, 2017, Green returned with theHouston Rockets for a second stint.[37] On January 3, 2018, he scored a season-high 27 points in a 116–98 win over theOrlando Magic.[38] Two days later, Green came off the bench to score 29 and tie a career high with eight 3-pointers in a 124–114 loss to theGolden State Warriors. He became the first player in franchise history to make seven or more 3-pointers in consecutive games after he made seven against Orlando.[39] On January 17, Green was suspended for two games without pay for entering theLos Angeles Clippers' locker room after a game against the team two days earlier.[40] On March 30, Green hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to snatch a win against the Phoenix Suns.[41]
On July 10, 2018, Green re-signed with the Rockets.[42]
On July 22, 2019, Green re-signed with the Rockets.[43] On October 28, the Rockets announced that Green had undergone surgery to repair a broken bone in his left foot and would be sidelined for approximately six months.[44]
On February 5, 2020, the Rockets traded Green to theDenver Nuggets in a four-team trade,[45] and the Nuggets waived Green two days later.[46] On December 1, 2020, Green re-signed with the Houston Rockets to a one-year non-guaranteed deal.[47] On December 19, the Rockets waived Green.[48]
On January 8, 2022, Green came out of retirement and signed with theRio Grande Valley Vipers,[49] averaging 18 points and 5.1 rebounds.[50] He won his first championship when the Vipers won the 2022 NBA G League Finals.
On October 22, 2021, Green announced his retirement and joined theHouston Rockets coaching staff as a player development coach.[51][52]
Green drew comparisons to futureHouston Rockets teammate and starTracy McGrady in the period leading up to the2005 NBA draft.[1]
Green's second cousin isCleveland Cavaliers shooting guardDanny Green. He also has a younger brother,Garlon, who is also a professional basketball player for CSM Oradea in Romania.[1] He formerly played forTCU before going to play in Europe.[53][54]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | Boston | 32 | 3 | 11.7 | .478 | .300 | .784 | 1.3 | .6 | .4 | .1 | 5.2 |
| 2006–07 | Boston | 81 | 26 | 22.0 | .419 | .368 | .805 | 2.6 | 1.0 | .5 | .3 | 10.4 |
| 2007–08 | Minnesota | 29 | 0 | 12.3 | .331 | .385 | .829 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .3 | .1 | 5.1 |
| 2007–08 | Houston | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | 1.000 | .000 | .000 | 2.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 6.0 |
| 2008–09 | Dallas | 38 | 12 | 9.9 | .439 | .304 | .844 | 1.4 | .4 | .3 | .1 | 5.2 |
| 2011–12 | New Jersey | 31 | 2 | 25.2 | .481 | .391 | .754 | 3.5 | 1.1 | .9 | .5 | 12.9 |
| 2012–13 | Indiana | 60 | 7 | 18.0 | .366 | .314 | .800 | 2.4 | .8 | .3 | .4 | 7.0 |
| 2013–14 | Phoenix | 82 | 48 | 28.4 | .445 | .400 | .848 | 3.4 | 1.5 | .9 | .5 | 15.8 |
| 2014–15 | Phoenix | 74 | 4 | 19.5 | .416 | .354 | .825 | 2.5 | 1.2 | .6 | .2 | 11.9 |
| 2015–16 | Miami | 69 | 14 | 22.6 | .392 | .323 | .783 | 2.4 | .8 | .6 | .3 | 8.9 |
| 2016–17 | Boston | 47 | 0 | 11.4 | .409 | .351 | .805 | 1.8 | .7 | .2 | .1 | 5.6 |
| 2017–18 | Houston | 41 | 2 | 22.7 | .407 | .369 | .850 | 3.2 | .6 | .6 | .4 | 12.1 |
| 2018–19 | Houston | 73 | 0 | 20.2 | .400 | .354 | .838 | 2.5 | .5 | .5 | .4 | 9.2 |
| Career | 658 | 118 | 19.8 | .417 | .361 | .818 | 2.5 | .9 | .5 | .3 | 9.7 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Dallas | 6 | 0 | 4.3 | .286 | .200 | .500 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| 2013 | Indiana | 9 | 0 | 11.7 | .420 | .333 | 1.000 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 6.1 |
| 2016 | Miami | 12 | 0 | 9.2 | .327 | .286 | .800 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 3.3 |
| 2017 | Boston | 13 | 7 | 14.8 | .472 | .467 | .889 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 7.5 |
| 2018 | Houston | 17 | 0 | 16.0 | .394 | .375 | .857 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 6.3 |
| 2019 | Houston | 11 | 0 | 8.8 | .300 | .345 | 1.000 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 3.5 |
| Career | 68 | 7 | 11.8 | .389 | .374 | .844 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 5.1 | |
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