Danny Greene has been a rock-solid role player for the Spurs
all season and getting plenty of air-time on Sports Center as a result; but
there is a reason why... he became a "team player."
"Green's initial contact with the Spurs was thanks to a stint
in Cleveland with the Cavaliers under Danny Ferry. When Ferry lost his job as
Cleveland's general manager in 2010 and returned to the Spurs organization that
had given him his post-playing start, he recommended they bring in Green. They
signed him on Nov. 17, 2010, and waived him on Nov. 23, 2010. They couldn't
stand him. The Spurs didn't like his attitude and didn't think he'd fit in with
their team-oriented culture.
Then, Green did something that didn't fit in with our
unapologetic, text-message culture. He asked for a second chance -- on a
voicemail message he left for Gregg Popovich.
Green says he told him, "I'll do whatever you need me
to do. Rebound, defense, towel boy, water boy … whatever you need me to do, I'm
going to do that."
Popovich took it to heart. He brought back Green that March
and signed him through the end of the 2010-11 season. By the next season, Green
started more than half of the 66 games in the lockout-shortened schedule.
"Pop's a really good dude, and he gave me a second
chance and I appreciate that," Green said. "The whole way along he's
been pushing me and teaching me to be better, and I've grown within the
system."
How much has Green improved since joining the Spurs? He was 27.3% from outside before joining the Spurs and now shoots 42.9%. He was 66.7% at the FT line before falling into Pop's system, now? He shoots 84.8% from the line. Rebounding? Pre-Spurs Green was 0.9% rebounds per game...now? 3.1 RPG. In fact, Greene has improved in almost every statistical category.
Thanks J.A. Adande | ESPN.com
