Gerald Green facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gerald Green

Green with the Boston Celtics in 2017
Shooting guard / small forward
Personal information
Born	(1986-01-26) January 26, 1986 (age 39) 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
NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (2007) NBA G League champion (2022) NBA D-League All-Star (2012) NBA D-League All-Star Game MVP (2012) McDonald's All-American (2005)

Gerald Green (born January 26, 1986) is an American who used to play professional basketball. He was chosen by the Boston Celtics as the 18th pick in the 2005 NBA draft. Gerald Green is famous for his amazing dunks. He won the 2005 McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Contest and the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He also came in second place in the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Gerald Green was born in Houston, Texas. When he was in 6th grade, he had an accident. He was trying to dunk a basketball when a ring he was wearing got caught on a nail. This caused a serious injury to his right ring finger, and part of it had to be removed.

Green didn't play high school basketball until his second year. He played for J. Frank Dobie High School. In his third year, he made the main team, but he had to stop playing because of problems with his schoolwork.

Green then moved to a different school called Gulf Shores Academy in Houston. He repeated his third year there. In his final year at Gulf Shores, he played incredibly well. He scored about 33 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and made 7 assists per game. He was named an All-American, which means he was one of the best high school players in the country. He also scored the most points (24) in the 2005 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. This game features the top high school basketball players in the United States. Green also won the McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Contest that year.

Experts thought Green was a "five-star recruit," meaning he was one of the very best players in his age group. He was even ranked as the number one player in the nation in 2005. Green first planned to go to Oklahoma State University for college. However, he later decided to go straight to the NBA draft after high school. Because he hired an agent, he could not play college basketball.

Professional Basketball Career

Starting with the Boston Celtics (2005–2007)

Many people thought Green would be picked very early in the 2005 NBA draft. But he ended up being chosen by the Boston Celtics as the 18th pick. This might have happened because he only worked out for a few teams 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 19 years old by December 31 of the draft year.

In his first season, Green didn't play much for the Celtics. He was sent to the NBA D-League (a league for developing players) a few times to get more playing time. When he did play, he showed flashes of his talent. He scored 13 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in one game. He also made some exciting plays, like a half-court shot and amazing dunks.

Green worked hard to improve his game. In the 2006–07 season, he started playing more when other players were injured. He averaged 10.4 points per game that season.

On February 17, 2007, Green won the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. He beat other great dunkers like Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard. Later that season, he scored a career-high 25 points in a game against the Dallas Mavericks. Then, he scored even more, 33 points, against the Atlanta Hawks.

On July 31, 2007, Green was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a big trade for Kevin Garnett.

Moving Around the NBA (2007–2011)

In Minnesota, Green didn't get much playing time. His agent asked the team to trade him. At the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Green showed off his creative dunks. He did a "Birthday Cake" dunk where he blew out a candle on a cupcake while dunking. He finished second to Dwight Howard in that contest.

On February 21, 2008, Green was traded to his hometown team, the Houston Rockets. However, he was released by the Rockets in March.

On July 1, 2008, Green signed with the Dallas Mavericks. He chose to play in the summer league to learn the team's plays. He played well in the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league, averaging 17.7 points per game.

After his time with the Mavericks, Green played for teams outside the NBA. He played for PBC Lokomotiv Kuban and BC Krasnye Krylya in Russia. In October 2011, he signed with the Foshan Dralions in China, but he was released in December.

Returning to the NBA (2011–2019)

Green tried to get back into the NBA. He signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in December 2011, but was waived before the season started.

He then joined the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBA Development League (now called the NBA G League). He played in the NBA G League All-Star Game and was named the Most Valuable Player of that game. He averaged 19.1 points per game during his time there.

His strong play in the D-League led to him signing with the New Jersey Nets in February 2012. He made an incredible "windmill alley-oop" dunk against the Houston Rockets that was called one of the best ever. He played well for the Nets, averaging 12.9 points in 31 games.

On July 12, 2012, Green signed with the Indiana Pacers. He took part in his third NBA Slam Dunk Contest during the 2013 All-Star weekend.

Gerald Green shooting a fadeaway jumper vs. the Memphis Grizzlies as a member of the Suns

On July 27, 2013, Green was traded to the Phoenix Suns. He got more playing time when other guards were injured. He even became the team's top scorer in some games. On March 6, 2014, Green scored a new career-high of 41 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also made 8 three-pointers in that game, which was a career best for him. He finished fourth in the award for the NBA's Most Improved Player that season.

On July 9, 2015, Green signed with the Miami Heat. He scored 19 points in his first game with the Heat. He later scored a season-high 30 points in a game against the Sacramento Kings.

On July 27, 2016, Green returned to the Boston Celtics for a second time. He scored a season-high 19 points in a win against the Memphis Grizzlies. In the playoffs, he had a career-high 18 points in a game against the Chicago Bulls.

On December 28, 2017, Green came back to the Houston Rockets for his second time with the team. He had some great games, including scoring 27 points against the Orlando Magic and 29 points with eight 3-pointers against the Golden State Warriors. He was the first Rockets player to make seven or more 3-pointers in two games in a row. On March 30, Green made a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer against the Phoenix Suns. He re-signed with the Rockets in 2018 and 2019. In October 2019, he had surgery for a broken bone in his left foot. He was later traded to the Denver Nuggets in February 2020, but was waived by them. He briefly re-signed with the Rockets in December 2020 but was waived again.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2022)

On January 8, 2022, Green decided to play basketball again and signed with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He averaged 18 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. 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 other players improve their skills.

Player Style

Before he was drafted into the NBA, Gerald Green was often compared to the famous basketball star Tracy McGrady. Both were known for their exciting style of play.

Personal Life

Gerald Green has a second cousin named Danny Green, who is also a professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Gerald also has a younger brother, Garlon, who plays professional basketball in Romania.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Gerald Green para niños