BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Jeffrey Lynn Green born August 28, 1986 is an American professional basketball forward with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green attended Georgetown University until his junior year, when he entered the 2007 NBA Draft. He was selected fifth overall by the Boston Celtics, and was subsequently traded to the Seattle Super Sonics (now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder) in a trade for Ray Allen and Glen Davis. Green would be traded back to the Celtics during the 2010–11 NBA season.
Early years
Jeff Green was born in Cheverly, Maryland, to Jeffrey Green Sr. and Felicia Akingube. He attended North western High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he led the NHS Wildcats to the state basketball championship in 2004.
Green was recruited to Georgetown University by coach Craig Esherick in 2003. However, Esherick was fired before Green arrived on campus and John Thompson III was hired as the new coach. The two top recruits of Esherick's tenure, Green and center Roy Hibbert, would be the key components of Thompson's future success.
Standing 6'9", Green played forward under Coach John Thompson III. He was the captain of the squad. Thompson stated in a Sports Illustrated interview: "You'll stop and think when I say this, but it's true: Jeff Green is the smartest player I've ever coached. You would know this better than most: that's a hell of a statement."
In Georgetown's upset victory over top-ranked and undefeated Duke University in 2006, Green played a pivotal role. During the 2006–2007 season, Green hit game-winning shots in the final seconds of multiple games, including a game-winning shot against Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. With the Hoyas down one, Green beat a double-team and hit a shot with 2.5 seconds left in the game.
Jeff Green won the 2005 Big East Rookie of the Year award along with Rudy Gay of the University of Connecticut. In addition, Green was named to the All-Big East Second Team in 2006 along with team mate Roy Hibbert. In 2007, Green and teammate Roy Hibbert were unanimous selections to the All-Big East First Team. After his 30-point performance in the 2007 Big East Tournament semi-final against Notre Dame and his 21-point performance in the championship against the Pittsburgh, Green was also named Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 Big East Tournament as the Hoyas went on to claim their first Big East title since 1989.
Green was named the 2007 Big East Player of the Year. Jeff Green led the Hoyas on an impressive, relentless run to the Final Four in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, beating Belmont and Boston College in the first two rounds. Green would be remembered for beating Vanderbilt off a game-winning shot in the game's closing seconds as well as fearlessly leading the Hoyas to victory against #1 seed UNC, in a stunning second-half comeback victory and bringing the Hoyas back to their first Final Four since Patrick Ewing led them to the 1985 National Championship game. The Hoyas eventually lost to Greg Oden and the Ohio State Buckeyes, bringing the Hoyas' remarkable title run to a close, as well as Jeff Green's collegiate playing career, as he would forgo his senior year and enter the NBA Draft. Green spent the next four summers taking classes at Georgetown and graduated with a degree in English with a minor in theology in 2012.
College Awards & Honors
- 2007 Big East Player of the Year
- AP All-American Third Team (2007)
- NABC All-American Third Team (2007)
- USBWA All-American Second Team (2007)
- Big East Tournament MVP (2007)
- All Big-East First Team (2007)
- All Big-East Second Team (2006)
- Big East Conference Rookie of the Year (2005)
- Big East All-Rookie Team (2005)
NBA
Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder
On June 28, 2007, Green was taken 5th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. He was later involved in a trade that sent veteran guard Ray Allen along with the fifth pick in the second round (#35 overall, LSU Tigers' Glen Davis) to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, the 5th overall selection and a future second-round selection to theSeattle Super Sonics. Since the deal was not made prior to the 2:00 pm deadline, the Celtics chose Green for the Sonics' with the fifth overall pick. Green shortly after signed a deal to be represented by David Falk, the agent of Michael Jordan, and became the first player to sign with Falk since John Lucas III in 2005.
After trading Ray Allen and drafting Kevin Durant, it was clear the Super sonics were in rebuilding mode. After talks of a new arena in Seattle broke down, it was evident that a big change was coming. The Supersonics finished the season at 20–62. Green made the NBA All-Rookie First Team along with teammate Kevin Durant. Green averaged 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists and started 52 games. He also played in the 2009 Rookie-Sophomore Challenge where he scored 13 points and made 2 steals in the Sophomores' win.
After the season, the Supersonics were sold and moved to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder. Green wore the number 22, the same number he wore with the Sonics. The first season in Oklahoma City would be tough as the team did not have immediate success. The Thunder made big splashes in the draft, drafting Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. Green averaged 16.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a steal a game. The Thunder struggled to 23–59, leading to the firing of coach P. J. Carlesimo in the middle of the season.
The Thunder drafted James Harden, and traded for guards Eric Maynor and Thabo Sefolosha. Green started in all 82 regular season games and averaged 15.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.6 steals and about a block a game. The Thunder finished a 50–32 and became the eighth seed in the playoffs, where they met Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder were eliminated 4–2. Green averaged 11.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in the series.
Boston Celtics
On February 25, 2011, the NBA's trade deadline, Green was traded to the Boston Celtics, who initially drafted Green, along with Nenad Krstic and a protected 2012 first round pick originally from the Los Angeles Clippers, in exchange for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.
In Boston, Green was thought of being a future replacement for aging All-Star Paul Pierce as the small forward alongside All-Star Rajon Rondo. After averaging 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in Oklahoma City, Green averaged 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and .7 assists in Boston. Green saw a big drop in minutes per game as well, dropping from 37.0 minutes to 23.4 minutes. The Celtics made it to the playoffs as the number three seed in the Eastern Conference. They swept the New York Knicks in the first round. In the next round, however, they were eliminated by the Miami Heat. Green became a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
On December 10, 2011 Green signed a 1 year, $9 million contract with the Boston Celtics. On December 17, Jeff Green was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, which would cause him to miss the 2011–2012 season.[9][10] Because of the surgery, he failed his physical, which revoked the Celtics' qualifying offer, thus making him an unrestricted free agent.
Even though Green had season ending surgery, he spent plenty of time with his former Celtics teammates during the season and voiced his desire to return to the team for the 2012–13 season. Former teammate Kevin Durant dedicated his 2012 season to Green.
Green used his down time not only to rehab from surgery but to complete his coursework at Georgetown, graduating on May 19, 2012 with a degree in English with a minor in theology.
On June 16, 2012, the NBA granted Boston a 2013 second-round pick from Oklahoma City in a dispute over Jeff Green's medical condition. The pick was previously acquired by the Thunder from the Charlotte Bobcats in 2011 for Byron Mullens.
On August 22, 2012 it was announced that Green re-signed with the Boston Celtics on a four-year, $36 million contract.
On November 23, 2012, against his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Green scored 17 points off the bench. Two weeks later he scored 19 points on 6 of 12 shooting, along with 8 rebounds, in an overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
On February 22, 2013, in a game against the Phoenix Suns, Green scored 31 points, shooting 11-14 from the field, as the Celtics crushed the Suns 113-88. He also grabbed 7 rebounds and blocked 5 shots.
On March 18, 2013, Green scored a career high of 43 points to go with 7 rebounds and 4 blocks in a 103-105 loss to the Miami Heat. On April 3, 2013, in a home game against the Detroit Pistons, Green scored 34 points, shooting 13-19 from the field including 3-4 from 3 point range. He also had 6 rebounds and 4 blocks in the 98-93 win over the Pistons.
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