It's not the retirement of Rafael Nadal, also announced this Thursday, but it's a big winner in the NBA world who is leaving. Danny Green indeed announced, via his podcastwhich he would not play again, thus ending a career lasting fifteen seasons and rich in three NBA titles.
By winning a ring in 2014 with the Spurs, in 2019 with the Raptors then in 2020 with the Lakers, the guard made history. Only Robert Horry, John Salley and LeBron James can boast of having won the NBA trophy with three different teams.
An important member of the Spurs
However, when he arrived in the league, it was not written that Danny Green would establish himself as an important part of several dominant teams. His first season in Cleveland, after an NCAA title in 2009 with North Carolina, was very short (20 matches) and his second, in San Antonio, even shorter with only eight matches…
Then Gregg Popovich trusted him, put him in the major five and his qualities as a long-range shooter and strong outside defender made him a perfect element in the collective game of San Antonio, around Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and young Kawhi Leonard. He won his first title in 2014 and had his best seasons, on an individual level, in Texas.
In 2018, change of scenery. He is part of the trade between Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan. Excellent pick for the Raptors, who climbed to the summit of Everest in 2019. The following season, Danny Green joined Los Angeles and the Lakers. Here again, he is an indisputable and valuable starter and, here again, in the “bubble”, he is NBA champion. His third and final ring.
A big injury after a double
This double with two different teams is the peak of his career because then, in Philadelphia, no victorious campaign in the playoffs and above all a major injury in May 2022. The player is the victim of a double ligament rupture at the level of the left knee: anterior cruciate ligament and fibular collateral ligament.
Certainly, he will return at the beginning of February 2023, in the colors of the Grizzlies, but, at the age of 35, his career is in some way over since he will not be able to relaunch, neither in Memphis, nor in Cleveland, nor yet in Philadelphia last season.
The three-time champion will have played 13 matches after his serious injury, to finally finish with 832 regular season matches on the clock (8.7 points average at 40% success at 3-pts), as well as 169 in the playoffs, and therefore three rings of NBA champion.
| Danny Green | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2009-10 | KEY | 20 | 6 | 38.5 | 27.3 | 66.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 2.0 |
| 2010-11 | SAN | 8 | 11 | 48.6 | 36.8 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 5.1 |
| 2011-12 | SAN | 66 | 23 | 44.2 | 43.6 | 79.0 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 9.1 |
| 2012-13 | SAN | 80 | 28 | 44.8 | 42.9 | 84.8 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 10.5 |
| 2013-14 | SAN | 68 | 24 | 43.2 | 41.5 | 79.4 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 9.1 |
| 2014-15 | SAN | 81 | 29 | 43.6 | 41.8 | 87.4 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 11.7 |
| 2015-16 | SAN | 79 | 26 | 37.6 | 33.2 | 73.9 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 7.2 |
| 2016-17 | SAN | 68 | 27 | 39.2 | 37.9 | 84.4 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 7.3 |
| 2017-18 | SAN | 70 | 26 | 38.7 | 36.3 | 76.9 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 8.6 |
| 2018-19 | TOR | 80 | 28 | 46.5 | 45.5 | 84.1 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 10.3 |
| 2019-20 | LAL | 68 | 25 | 41.6 | 36.7 | 68.8 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 8.0 |
| 2020-21 | PHL | 69 | 28 | 41.2 | 40.5 | 77.5 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 9.5 |
| 2021-22 | PHL | 62 | 22 | 39.4 | 38.0 | 78.6 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 5.9 |
| 2022-23 * | All Teams | 11 | 13 | 44.9 | 43.2 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 5.6 |
| 2022-23 * | KEY | 8 | 12 | 50.0 | 44.8 | 100.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 6.5 |
| 2022-23 * | M.E.M. | 3 | 15 | 27.3 | 37.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| 2023-24 | PHL | 2 | 9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Total | 832 | 25 | 42.1 | 40.0 | 80.5 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 8.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
