Green breaks out, Heat sinks Spurs

Dylan Butler

LeBron James and the Miami Heat captured a second straight NBA title, beating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 last Thursday in Miami. 

But it was Danny Green, a 26-year-old North Babylon native and standout at St. Mary’s High School, who emerged as the breakthrough performer of the epic seven-game series. 

In fact, had the Spurs emerged victorious in the decisive seventh game, many believed it would have been Green, not King James, lifting the MVP trophy. 

Green, who led San Antonio in scoring during the series with 14 points per game, has made a remarkable transformation from a fringe NBA player cut three times to a key starter on an elite squad. 

“I’m sure many people, if you had to guess, or bet against them, they would not think that I would be in this position playing in the NBA Finals starting for one of the top two teams in the league,” Green said. 

Green set a record for made three-pointers in the NBA finals – and he did so after Game 5 when he was 25-of-38 at that point. 

Green, who finished with 27 three-pointers in the series, was 7-of-9 from beyond the arc, scoring 27 in a 36-point blowout win in Game 3.

“It’s been a while since I shot the ball like that,” Green said after the game. “A couple of games in the season I shot it pretty well. But tonight it was totally different level of feeling ‑‑ comfort level on the perimeter.”

Green was also 5-of-5 from 3-point range in a Game 2 loss and scored 24 points in Game 5 to put the Spurs one game away from winning the title. 

“Danny has been playing great,” Spurs guard Tony Parker said after Game 5. “He’s making shots. I can’t believe he’s still open at this moment of this series.”

Unfortunately for Green, his hot touch didn’t continue. He shot a combined 2-of-19 in back-to-back losses in games six and seven. Then Green caught some heat for allegedly partying with James and other Miami players following Game 7, but Green tweeted he just happened to be in the same place as the Miami players, a claim James backed up via Twitter. 

“Danny Green did not party with us on Thursday night,” James tweeted. “He came to say congrats and I told him how proud of him I was for taking advantage, full advantage of the opportunity he was given and keep going. We dapped up, showed love and he left.”

After transferring from North Babylon following his freshman year, Green blossomed at St. Mary’s as a junior, averaging 16 points, nine rebounds, four assists and five blocks. A McDonald’s All-American, Green averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four blocks as a senior, leading the Gaels to a 74-5 record and three league titles over his three years in Manhasset. 

He went to North Carolina where he endured a difficult freshman season and fought off the temptation to transfer following his sophomore year. Green averaged 11.5 points, 4.9 rebounds as the Tar Heels sixth man as a junior and averaged 13.1 points and 4.7 rebounds as a senior, shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three-point range. Green helped guide North Carolina to the 2009 national championship. 

The 46th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Green was cut by the Cleveland Cavaliers before the start of his second season. He was picked up by the Spurs, but was then waived six days later. 

Green was cut by the Spurs again and played in the D-League, but made the most of his next opportunity with San Antonio following the NBA lockout. He started 38 of his 66 games played and averaged 9.1 points per game a year ago. 

The Spurs rewarded Green with a $12 million contract over three years last July and Green paid the team back with a stellar regular season and an even better postseason as a regular starter. 

The difference, according to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, is simply confidence. 

“That was the missing piece the last couple of years for him,” he said. “Coach [Roy] Williams at North Carolina and I double‑teamed him, talked to him about that sort of thing. I think Coach Williams had a big impact on Danny’s mental status, believing that he belonged, not getting down if things didn’t go well, to continue to push and to work. To Danny’s credit, he’s done that.  He’s a pretty confident young man right now.”

While he regained that confidence at the perfect time, Green said it was a little strange for him to be in the spotlight, a regular on the dais for postgame press conferences. 

“Growing up as a kid, I was a big basketball fan since I was little,” Green said. “My father put the ball in my hand, I stayed up late. We’re on the East Coast, it’s a little different. I never thought I would be up here talking to you guys now.”

After a memorable NBA Finals, Green returns to Long Island for Team Green Basketball Camps, which begin in Floral Park from July 8-11 and continues in North Babylon July 22-26 and July 29-Aug. 2.

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