Danny Green just recently announced his retirement from playing basketball. He finished his career with three NBA championships and an All-Defensive Second Team selection. Here’s a look at the 10 most unbelievable facts about Danny Green’s NBA career.
Check out this gallery.
Danny Green was initially cut by the Spurs
After the Cleveland Cavaliers released him, Danny Green was picked up by the San Antonio Spurs on a 10-day contract. Believe it or not, Green was initially cut by Gregg Popovich. Fortunately, Coach Pop gave him another opportunity, which paid dividends. Green went on to help the Spurs win the NBA championship in 2014 after strong back-to-back showings at the NBA Finals.
Danny Green won three championships with three different teams
There are only four NBA players in league history who’ve won at least three NBA championships with three different teams. This short list includes Danny Green, who won a title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, the Toronto Raptors in 2019, and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. He joins Robert Horry, John Salley, and LeBron James.
More than half of Danny Green’s shots were threes
Danny Green finished his career with a total of 2,546 made field goals, accumulating a total of 7,204 points. More than half of his field goal makes came from beyond the three-point line.
Throughout his career, Green converted a total of 1,577 three-pointers, which meant that 4,731 of his total career points came from three-pointers, which shows that three-point shooting was truly Green’s calling card on offense.
Danny Green had third most threes in an NBA Finals series
Prior to Stephen Curry’s performance in the 2016 NBA Finals, at one point, it was Danny Green who held the record for the most three-point field goals in an NBA Finals series by a player. At the 2013 NBA Finals, Green swooshed a total of 27 three-point field goals. In Game 3, Green actually converted 7-of-9 from rainbow country.
Danny Green is third all-time in Spurs three-point makes
Given that Green was an effective 3-and-D player, it isn’t surprising that he is also a part of the Spurs’ all-time record books in that department.
In a Spurs uniform, Green knocked down 959 three-point field goals. That tally is good for third all-time in franchise history. The only other two players who accumulated more threes in a Spurs uniform were Patty Mills and Manu Ginobili with 1,171 and 1,495, respectively.
Danny Green has most threes in a season by a Spurs player
Speaking of Spurs franchise records, Green actually registered the most threes by a Spurs player in a regular season. In the 2014-2015 season, Green totaled 191 conversions from three-point land. He broke the franchise record, previously held by Chuck Person, who set the record during the 1995-1996 regular season.
Danny Green sets Raptors franchise record for most threes in a quarter
After several seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, Danny Green along with 2014 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard were sent to the Toronto Raptors. As history unfolded, both championship-caliber players brought their experience to Toronto, which paid off big time leading to the franchise’s first championship banner.
Green brought his elite shooting to the table, hitting seven threes in a 119-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. The tally was enough to set the franchise record for most threes in a single quarter. Green finished the game with 24 points.
Danny Green was third Tar Heel to win NBA title and NCAA title
Related NewsArticle continues below
Prior to making the jump into the NBA, Danny Green showcased his wears for the University of North Carolina basketball team. At the college level, Green won an NCAA championship.
At the NBA level, Green won his first NBA championship in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs. In the process, he joined elite company Michael Jordan and James Worthy to become the only Tar Heel alumni to win an NCAA Championship and NBA Championship.
Danny Green played in Slovenia during NBA lockout
After Green joined the Spurs, the NBA went through a lockout. This allowed players to play in exhibition games around the world or to play in different professional basketball leagues. During the lockout, Green signed with Union Olimpija, which is a professional club based in Slovenia. In seven games, Green averaged 11.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
Danny Green’s NBA G-League call-up
Danny Green didn’t exactly have the best start in his NBA career. He was initially drafted by the Cavs in the second round before being assigned to the NBA G-League’s Erie BayHawks. Afterwards, he was eventually acquired by the Reno Bighorns.
When Green was picked up by the San Antonio Spurs, he was sent to the G-League affiliate squad, the Austin Toros. At the G-League, Green put up 20.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game on 45% shooting from the field and from three-point country.