Every young NBA player dreams of sharing the court with legends, testing their mettle against the game’s greatest stars, and proving they belong among basketball’s elite. For Danny Green, a rookie with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009, who just announced his retirement a few days back, that dream seemed within reach as he prepared to potentially play alongside Shaquille O’Neal and against LeBron James. However, what followed was a heartbreaking reality check that would test his resilience.
In a revealing conversation on the Above The Rim with DH 12 podcast, Green opened up about a particularly painful incident from his rookie season that still resonates with him today. “So you come in and I’m like I’m hooping in practice, I belong like I might get some minutes, you come to the arena, they tell you, like what the hell do you mean. I’m inactive? I didn’t even know what that meant. You’re inactive today, I’m like what does that mean? I’m like ESPN game Bron, Shaq my teammates and I’m like I might be seen on TV today. I come to the arena they are like you’re inactive. I’m like, heartbreaking bro,” said Green during the podcast.
The sharpshooter, who would later become a 3x NBA champion with three different teams, found himself in basketball purgatory during his brief stint with the Cavaliers. In fact, he appeared in just 20 games with the Cavs in his rookie season, averaging just 2 PPG, on 38 % shooting. Even being on the same team as Shaq and James, he couldn’t get to play alongside them for a long time as he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs at the beginning of the 2010-2011 season.
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Moreover, his second and final stint with the organization was also not memorable. The shooting guard just managed to score 6.5 points in just the eight games that he played. “It was just tough being in that position, that situation. There was a lot of weird air of not knowing what was going on, what was happening, what my role was going to be, or what it was. There was talks differently before I got there than when I got there. Ultimately in the time 1 thought I was going to get my opportunity to actually play throughout the regular season, I caught COVID,” said Green about his second stint with the Cavs (as per Hoop Chat).
What makes Green’s revelation particularly poignant is how it illuminates the emotional toll of being so close to achieving a dream, only to have it seemingly slip away. However, it seems like Green didn’t have a problem only with the Cleveland Cavaliers but also with another NBA team.
Danny Green on the struggles of keeping up with the Lakers fanbase
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Danny Green shared his insights on the immense pressure that comes with playing in the Los Angeles Lakers by using Russell Westbrook as an example. Green, who himself experienced the highs and lows of playing in LA, empathizes with the challenges faced by players under the intense spotlight of the Lakers franchise.
During the same podcast, the former Lakers player talked about how Westbrook is known for his assertive attitude. Still, the rabid Lakers fanbase had him questioning his skills at one point.
“You feel the pressures of it and you’re just like, damn, it is a lot, there is a lot of heat on it. You’re not yourself, you’re not playing like yourself… I knew I wasn’t the only that could feel it when I saw Russ get there. I was like oh my god, he is the most confident guy I’ve seen in this league, most aggressive, if he went through it there, anybody could. I’m not saying it broke him but this dynamic can change a player like him to a point where he might be second-guessing himself. I’m saying that shows you how big that magnifying glass is and how hard it is,” said Green.
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The Lakers fanbase had been harsh on Westbrook for a long time. The point guard, who wasn’t that good at shooting from the three-point line, was constantly mocked by the Lakers fanbase with names like ‘Westbrick’. The fanbase even went to the extent of threatening his wife Nina. “When I’m being harassed on a daily basis over basketball games, and I’m having obscenity and death wishes for me and my family sent my way because you’re expressing your “truth”, it’s hard for me to get on board with that,” wrote Nina on her X.
Green’s observations offer valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of playing for the Lakers. Being a victim of letdowns with the Cavs himself, Green knew how hard it was for Westbrook and this might also be the reason why Green never returned to the Lakers even when he got a chance in the 2022-23 season.
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