Just a couple of weeks after the retirement of former NBA MVP Derrick Rose became official, another accomplished player is calling it quits. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, three-time NBA champion Danny Green has retired from basketball after 15 seasons. The 37-year-old appeared in two games for the Philadelphia 76ers last season. In his NBA career, Green was a part of three championship teams (2014 San Antonio Spurs, 2019 Toronto Raptors, and 2020 Los Angeles Lakers).
Additionally, Green took to social media to put out an official statement. In the statement, he said he is “excited for the next chapter” of his post-playing career.
At his peak, Green was one of the NBA’s best three-point shooters. During the 2013 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, Green averaged 14 points for the Spurs. Additionally, he shot 44.4% from the field and an incredible 55.1% from beyond the arc. Though his Spurs lost to the Heat in seven games, Green played an essential role in helping San Antonio exact revenge the following year, defeating the Heat in the 2014 NBA Finals.
In addition to the teams he won a championship with, Green played for numerous other franchises as well. During his time in the NBA, he also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 76ers, and Memphis Grizzlies. Green played 832 NBA regular season games, starting 709 of them in total. In his career, he averaged 8.7 points on 42.1% shooting from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.
On top of winning three NBA championships and making it to four NBA Finals, Green also earned All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2017 and finished ninth in Most Improved Player voting in 2012.
Throughout his career, the UNC alum played with some of the greatest players in NBA history. This includes players like LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, and Joel Embiid. It is unknown if Green has any interest in returning to the NBA in a non-playing capacity. However, given his experience and championship accolades, it could be an interesting possibility.
Green currently has a podcast, Inside the Green Room (YouTube link), where he discusses the NBA and many of its hot topics. Additionally, he has made television appearances on major platforms, such as ESPN. It is clear that Green has interest in shifting toward an NBA journalist/personality role. Now that he is officially retired from the game, it is fair to assume he will continue moving in this direction.
The New York native will not make it into the Hall of Fame or anything like that. However, he was a valuable role player during the best years of his playing career. Additionally, playing 15 seasons in the NBA is no small feat. All things considered, Green had a great playing career and is well-equipped to be successful in his post-playing career as well.
