‘All that sacrifice, it paid off’: Jeff Green reflected on his NBA journey after Nuggets’ championship
"You never know when your name is going to get called, but when it's called, you have to be ready."
In an NBA career that’s spanned 16 years and 11 teams, Jeff Green is officially a champion.
Green, 36, scored four points in five minutes of play to help the Nuggets beat the Heat 94-89 in Monday’s Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The win clinched the series in five games.
Afterward, Green expressed his elation in an interview with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, referencing the most difficult moment of his career: When he missed the 2011-2012 season after an aortic root aneurysm was discovered during a routine preseason physical. That he was able to make a comeback (and continue playing more than a decade removed from the surgery) has given him perspective.
“Man, I can’t even put it into words. This is what you live for, all the sacrifice, all the blood, sweat and tears — the countless hours.” Green told Van Pelt. “For me, going through the surgery, 11 teams, adapted to every environment, this is what it was all for. All that sacrifice, it paid off.”
“You just stay with it,” Green said when asked how he was able to keep focused in a limited role. “You never know when your name is going to get called, but when it’s called, you have to be ready. For me it was just about staying in the gym, being ready, being there for my teammates, all for this moment.”
Green was originally drafted fifth overall by the Celtics in 2007. He was quickly traded to the then-Seattle Supersonics as part of a package to bring Ray Allen to the Celtics.
His career converged on Boston again when he was dealt back to the Celtics in 2011. He logged four seasons in Boston — during which time he overcame the aortic aneurysm, before being traded yet again in 2015 to the Grizzlies.
Green joined the Nuggets in 2021, eventually helping Denver win its first NBA title.
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