Now that the Houston Rockets have reportedly agreed to guarantee backup shooting guard Gerald Green’s contract, he is safe. After being waived by the Milwaukee Bucks before this season started, Green disappeared from the picture. Many people assumed he was playing overseas, as he was not on G-League rosters. He could also have been mulling retirement after a 13-year career, but no. Green was actually waiting for a call. It sounds surprising that a solid bench player and former Slam Dunk Contest champion was not wanted anywhere.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon story talks about how Green feels blessed about this opportunity:
“No team wanted me, man. No team wanted me. No team wanted me,” Green said, repeating himself for emphasis. “No overseas team. Not even a D-League team. So this is the only team that took a chance on me. For me, I’m just so overwhelmed and excited about the opportunity.
Green also adds how he always kept positive thoughts about his future despite being overlooked:
“You know what, man? I’ve been kind of thrown under the bus a few times in my career. So it’s not the first time I’ve seen that little area before. For me, what I did was just kept having faith in myself. Obviously, once it gets to be November and December and you still don’t get no calls, you either lay down or you fight. So I just continued to fight. God blessed me with this opportunity. Now I’ve just got to try to take advantage of it the best way that I can.”
This team offering him a contract was even more special for him, as Green is a Houston native. He was drafted 18th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics straight out of a Houston high school. Green has had a journeyman career, having stops with eight different NBA teams. He also played overseas for two seasons. His NBA career averages are 9.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in 19.6 minutes per game.
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