Gerald Green facts for kids
Green with the Boston Celtics in 2017
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| Shooting guard / small forward | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 26, 1986 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| High school | Gulf Shores Academy (Houston, Texas) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 2005 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18th overall |
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
| Pro career | 2005–2022 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 2005–2007 | Boston Celtics |
| 2006 | →Fayetteville Patriots |
| 2006 | →Florida Flame |
| 2007–2008 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2008 | Houston Rockets |
| 2008–2009 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2009–2010 | Lokomotiv Kuban |
| 2010–2011 | Krasnye Krylia |
| 2011 | Foshan Dralions |
| 2011–2012 | Los Angeles D-Fenders |
| 2012 | New Jersey Nets |
| 2012–2013 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2013–2015 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2015–2016 | Miami Heat |
| 2016–2017 | Boston Celtics |
| 2017–2020 | Houston Rockets |
| 2022 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| As coach: | |
| 2021–2022 | Houston Rockets (player development) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Gerald Green, born on January 26, 1986, is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He was picked by the Boston Celtics in the 2005 NBA draft. Gerald was famous for his amazing dunks and won several slam dunk contests, including the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He also came in second place in the 2008 contest.
Contents
- Growing Up and High School Basketball
- Professional Basketball Career
- Starting with the Boston Celtics (2005–2007)
- Time with Minnesota and Houston (2007–2008)
- Playing for the Dallas Mavericks (2008–2009)
- Playing Overseas and in the D-League (2009–2012)
- Return to the NBA: New Jersey Nets (2012)
- Indiana Pacers (2012–2013)
- Phoenix Suns (2013–2015)
- Miami Heat (2015–2016)
- Second Time with the Boston Celtics (2016–2017)
- Second Time with the Houston Rockets (2017–2020)
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2022)
- Coaching Career
- Player Style
- Family Life
- Career Statistics
- See also
Growing Up and High School Basketball
Gerald Green was born in Houston, Texas. When he was in the 6th grade, he had an accident. He was trying to dunk a basketball on a homemade hoop while wearing a ring. The ring got caught on a nail, and part of his right ring finger was cut off.
Green did not play high school basketball until his second year, when he joined the junior varsity team at J. Frank Dobie High School. In his third year, he made the main varsity team. However, he had to stop playing because of problems with his schoolwork.
Green then moved to a different school in Houston called Gulf Shores Academy. He repeated his third year there. In his final year at Gulf Shores, he played incredibly well. He scored an average of 33 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, made 7 assists, and blocked 3 shots per game.
He was chosen as an All-American player. In the 2005 McDonald's All-American Game, which features the best high school players in the U.S., Green was the top scorer with 24 points. He also won the McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Contest that year.
Experts thought Green was one of the best players in the country in 2005. He first planned to go to Oklahoma State University for college. But then he decided to go straight to the NBA draft after high school. He hired an agent, which meant he could not play college sports.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting with the Boston Celtics (2005–2007)
Many people thought Green would be picked very early in the 2005 NBA draft. However, he was chosen by the Boston Celtics as the 18th pick. This might have happened because he only worked out for teams with the top six picks before the draft.
Green was one of the last players to join the NBA right after high school. Now, NBA rules say that American players must be at least one year out of high school and turn 19 by December 31 of the draft year.
At first, Green did not play much for the Celtics. In January 2006, the Celtics sent him to the Fayetteville Patriots in the NBA D-League (now called the G League) to get more playing time. He was called back to the Celtics a few times. He finally got to play more in an NBA game on February 22, 2006, scoring 13 points and getting 9 rebounds.
During the 2005–06 season, he played in 32 games, averaging 5.2 points. He made some exciting plays, like a half-court shot and two amazing dunks that were shown on SportsCenter.
Green worked hard to improve his game. In the 2006–07 season, his playing time increased because some teammates were injured. He started his first NBA game in December against the Philadelphia 76ers. He finished the season averaging 10.4 points per game.
On February 17, 2007, Green won the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He beat other great dunkers like Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard. This was a big moment for him. He also scored a career-high 33 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 10, 2007.
In July 2007, Green was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a big trade for Kevin Garnett.
Time with Minnesota and Houston (2007–2008)
In Minnesota, Green did not get much playing time. His agent asked the Timberwolves to trade him in early 2008.
At the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Green showed off his creative dunks. One was called "The Birthday Cake," where he blew out a candle on a cupcake while dunking. He ended up finishing second to Dwight Howard in the contest.
On February 21, 2008, Green was traded to his hometown team, the Houston Rockets. However, the Rockets released him on March 8, making him a free agent.
Playing for the Dallas Mavericks (2008–2009)
On July 1, 2008, Green signed with the Dallas Mavericks. His agent said it was the best move for Gerald's career, even though other teams offered more money.
Green played in the summer league to learn the Mavericks' plays. He averaged 13.3 points per game in the Vegas Summer League. Later, in the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league, he played even better, averaging 17.7 points per game. His strong performance earned him a spot on the All-Revue Team.
Playing Overseas and in the D-League (2009–2012)
Green played for a Russian team called PBC Lokomotiv Kuban from 2009 to 2010. After that, he played for another Russian team, BC Krasnye Krylya, from 2010 to 2011. In October 2011, he moved to China to play for the Foshan Dralions, but he was released in December 2011.
In December 2011, Green signed with the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBA Development League. He played in the NBA D-League All-Star Game and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of that game. He averaged 19.1 points per game during the season.
Return to the NBA: New Jersey Nets (2012)
The New Jersey Nets signed Green in February 2012. He quickly made an impact with his amazing dunks. One of his dunks against the Houston Rockets was called "one of the dirtiest in-game windmill alley-oops in NBA history." He played 31 games for the Nets, averaging 12.9 points.
Indiana Pacers (2012–2013)
In July 2012, Green signed with the Indiana Pacers. He also took part in his third NBA Slam Dunk Contest during the 2013 All-Star weekend.
Phoenix Suns (2013–2015)
On July 27, 2013, Green was traded to the Phoenix Suns. He got to start for the Suns when other guards were injured. He played a big role when Eric Bledsoe had a knee injury. During this time, Green often became the team's top scorer. He scored a career-high 36 points in a win against the Denver Nuggets.
On March 6, 2014, Green set a new career high with 41 points, including 8 three-pointers, in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He finished the season with his best averages for points per game and free-throw percentage. He was also ranked fourth for the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
Miami Heat (2015–2016)
Green signed with the Miami Heat in July 2015. He scored 19 points in his first game for the Heat. He later scored a season-high 30 points in a game against the Sacramento Kings in April 2016.
Second Time with the Boston Celtics (2016–2017)
Green returned to the Boston Celtics in July 2016. He scored a season-high 19 points in a win against the Memphis Grizzlies in December 2016. In the playoffs, he scored a postseason career-high 18 points in a game against the Chicago Bulls.
Second Time with the Houston Rockets (2017–2020)
Green signed with the Houston Rockets again in December 2017. He quickly showed his scoring ability, with a season-high 27 points against the Orlando Magic in January 2018. Two days later, he scored 29 points and tied his career high with eight 3-pointers. He was the first Rockets player to make seven or more 3-pointers in two games in a row. In March 2018, Green hit a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer against the Phoenix Suns.
He re-signed with the Rockets in July 2018 and again in July 2019. In October 2019, Green had surgery for a broken bone in his left foot, which kept him out of play for about six months. He was traded to the Denver Nuggets in February 2020 but was waived two days later. He briefly re-signed with the Rockets in December 2020 but was waived again.
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2022)
In January 2022, Green came out of retirement and signed with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He averaged 18 points and 5.1 rebounds. He won his first championship when the Vipers won the 2022 NBA G League Finals.
Coaching Career
On October 22, 2021, Gerald Green announced that he was retiring from playing basketball. He then joined the Houston Rockets coaching staff as a player development coach. This means he helps players improve their skills.
Player Style
Before he was drafted in 2005, Gerald Green was compared to future Houston Rockets star Tracy McGrady. Both were known for their exciting plays and scoring ability.
Family Life
Gerald Green's second cousin is the retired basketball player Danny Green. Gerald also has a younger brother named Garlon Green, who is also a professional basketball player. Garlon plays for CSM Oradea in Romania.
Career Statistics
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | Boston | 32 | 3 | 11.7 | .478 | .300 | .784 | 1.3 | .6 | .4 | .1 | 5.2 |
| 2006–07 | Boston | 81 | 26 | 22.0 | .419 | .368 | .805 | 2.6 | 1.0 | .5 | .3 | 10.4 |
| 2007–08 | Minnesota | 29 | 0 | 12.3 | .331 | .385 | .829 | 2.1 | 1.0 | .3 | .1 | 5.1 |
| 2007–08 | Houston | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | 1.000 | .000 | .000 | 2.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 6.0 |
| 2008–09 | Dallas | 38 | 12 | 9.9 | .439 | .304 | .844 | 1.4 | .4 | .3 | .1 | 5.2 |
| 2011–12 | New Jersey | 31 | 2 | 25.2 | .481 | .391 | .754 | 3.5 | 1.1 | .9 | .5 | 12.9 |
| 2012–13 | Indiana | 60 | 7 | 18.0 | .366 | .314 | .800 | 2.4 | .8 | .3 | .4 | 7.0 |
| 2013–14 | Phoenix | 82 | 48 | 28.4 | .445 | .400 | .848 | 3.4 | 1.5 | .9 | .5 | 15.8 |
| 2014–15 | Phoenix | 74 | 4 | 19.5 | .416 | .354 | .825 | 2.5 | 1.2 | .6 | .2 | 11.9 |
| 2015–16 | Miami | 69 | 14 | 22.6 | .392 | .323 | .783 | 2.4 | .8 | .6 | .3 | 8.9 |
| 2016–17 | Boston | 47 | 0 | 11.4 | .409 | .351 | .805 | 1.8 | .7 | .2 | .1 | 5.6 |
| 2017–18 | Houston | 41 | 2 | 22.7 | .407 | .369 | .850 | 3.2 | .6 | .6 | .4 | 12.1 |
| 2018–19 | Houston | 73 | 0 | 20.2 | .400 | .354 | .838 | 2.5 | .5 | .5 | .4 | 9.2 |
| Career | 658 | 118 | 19.8 | .417 | .361 | .818 | 2.5 | .9 | .5 | .3 | 9.7 | |
Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Dallas | 6 | 0 | 4.3 | .286 | .200 | .500 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| 2013 | Indiana | 9 | 0 | 11.7 | .420 | .333 | 1.000 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 6.1 |
| 2016 | Miami | 12 | 0 | 9.2 | .327 | .286 | .800 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 3.3 |
| 2017 | Boston | 13 | 7 | 14.8 | .472 | .467 | .889 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 7.5 |
| 2018 | Houston | 17 | 0 | 16.0 | .394 | .375 | .857 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 6.3 |
| 2019 | Houston | 11 | 0 | 8.8 | .300 | .345 | 1.000 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 3.5 |
| Career | 68 | 7 | 11.8 | .389 | .374 | .844 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 5.1 | |
See also
In Spanish: Gerald Green para niños
