January 24, 2023 • 14 mins
Danny Green takes us inside his journey from New York, to college ball at the University of North Carolina, and then to many stops and championships in the NBA. Danny explains why it was a culture shock to go from New York to North Carolina and then he shares why he returned for his senior year. Danny runs through disappointments early in his NBA career, he shares which championship was his favorite, he talks about playing with Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, and then he finishes up answering how long he anticipates playing in the NBA.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Efficient offenses. For the most wanted is Danny Green. It's
down on the three. Danny Green looks down the three pointer.
Green has become one of the best three point shoots
in the league and Danny Green from downtown. Green is
now three for four from long distance. Left me speak
(00:21):
Green again. That's good, Danny Green. That's just tied right
out of record for post three's ever in an NBA Finals.
This is one of the most incredible shooting performances in
the history of the NBA Finals. What's up the three?
Puts it in? Danny Green does it again? Now as
(00:44):
an NBA Finals record for post three pointers in the
history of the Finals. This is funny three to break.
Ray Alex Park, Welcome to Sound of his first podcast.
I'm Bill showing Our very special guest is a three
time NBA champion and a guy who had three different
stints with the Spurs. We'll talk about those mostly the
third stint, not the first two because they didn't last
(01:05):
very long. Daniel Richard Green and the champion n C champion.
As with us, it's just like how man, It's been great.
It's good to see everybody be around your especially when
I come to San Antonio. You guys are coming here now,
four days in Memphis. A lot of fun, you know,
a lot of fun. You're injured right now, so I
know you're trying to recover from the knee injury. How's
that going on for you? It's going really well. Actually,
uh played some some pick up today. We've been playing
(01:26):
three on three, some one on ones early on starting
five on five soon. I don't want to give it,
but we have a we're very close. We were the
light is near and I'm ready to to hoop soon.
So let's just jump right into it that, Danny, Because
you're basketball journey is a very interesting one. It's checkered.
It's not like a real smooth path, right, so very lucky,
(01:46):
but it makes you appreciate what you got now. But
it didn't start out early, but you end up in
North Carolina an amazing college career. Just talk for a
moment about going from New York to North Carolina playing
in that kind of a program and all the success
you had with the tar Heels. Um, it was a
it was a culture shocking, you know, from New York
going to the South a little different, but um, you know,
ultimately my coach in high school was kind of crazy.
(02:08):
He was a little bit nuts, but he prepared me
for playing for coach Williams. Not saying coach Williams was
crazy or nuts, but he was very disciplined and on
that level, you know, you had to go live by
a certain uh, you know, certain lifestyle you had to do.
You have to be very disciplined, had to do with
certain small things, understand details, not cut corners, which ultimately
prepared me to play for Pop So. Um, you had
(02:29):
three crazy, great, great coaches, but you know, three perfectionists. Guys.
I want to see you you know, obviously do well,
but you know, find things that can make you be better.
You know, regardless of how good the game was or
how good of a game you had, Where can you
you know, get you know, achieve more? And what what
can you perfect? What can you do better at? What
can you do more? What can how can you help
the team even more so? Yeah, coming from New York
(02:50):
going to Carolina, UM, you know a lot of people
didn't think I was gonna play. You know, was American
luckier enough? But that was the last year you can
jump from high school to the NBA, And there was
a lot of guys that jump, but they were still
a very good class of guys that came in. We
had a lot of top recruits and another recruiting class
behind us that came in. And my my family wasn't sure.
People around me weren't sure if I should go there,
because they're like, you know, you might not get a
(03:10):
lot of minutes, you might not be featured. But my
dad and my brothers and family around me had a
good a lot of confidence in me and encourage me, like,
you know, we believe you can play anywhere. So it
was it was different. It was a culture shock, but
I learned a lot. I learned how to be a man.
I grew up there, Um gotta learn. I gotta to
build a new family in Chapel Hill and have some
brothers and uh, you know, we made some pretty good
(03:30):
history there as well. You were tempted to come out
after your junior year, like you decided to come back
for your senior year, and just looking at the way
that senior year, when I would imagine that was a
pretty good decision on your part. Yeah, it turned out well,
It turned out well, mind you, I didn't have much
of a choice anyway. It wasn't like I was gonna
be drafted a bunch of different or a bunch of
higher coming out of my my junior senior. I wasn't predicted
first round, you know, after my junior. But yes, I
(03:52):
want to test the water, just prepare myself mentally and
physically and to know what it would be like when
I do try to enter the draft. So we were
able to get the opportunity to do that. I got
a chance to test it out. See how I went.
Not just myself, but Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington also went
to test the waters. And we all came back and
things worked out pretty well for us. So you had
a lot of talented teammates there Carolina, for sure. But
(04:12):
you get drafted in the second round and you go
to Lebron and the Cleveland Cavaliers. What was that whole
experience like? Especially uh when Lebron kind of took you
in didn't for sure? You know, he had a great vibe,
great chemistry with everybody, but not just myself, but he
looked at me. I was pretty much the only rook
I was the only rookie we had. They had drafted
somebody else. He didn't come over. He stayed overseas Christian Diana.
So I was the only rookie. Um. We had bron Shack,
(04:34):
we had Anthony Parker Williams, we had a lot of
good Joskins, Andy Rajo. We had a great group. But
they all kind of took me in the when Brown
took me under his wing, and um, you know, I
learned a lot with a sponge. And as a rookie
you learn a lot of the things quickly, but not
in the best way. You know, you learn about inactive,
playing wearing a sport coat on a sideline, but not
(04:54):
one of the fourth that you learned as you go
to the buildings, like oh, you're inactive today, Like what
does that mean? It means you're you're not dressing up
be Like, oh, man, I thought it was like it's
esp at night game. Now I'm about the dressing, about
being a warm, being a court and my family is
gonna see me on TV, and like you're gonna be
in a sport coats to night. It's like so most
of my year, my rookie year, was being a sport coat.
So I didn't play much until you know, somebody got hurt,
(05:14):
somebody had a baby and an opportunity for like a
quarter and then somebody comes back at halftime and then
you know you're back on the bench. But it was
a learning experience. I was a sponge. I got a
chance to make some good relationships with some of those guys,
good rapport and learn and from some of the greats. Uh.
But you know, learn what the NBA was about. But
you had a lot of disappointments early in your career.
Danny Cleveland let you go. You had to end up.
(05:36):
You know, you had a couple of stints with the Spurs.
Maybe you can tell just a little the reader's digest
version of that before you finally came back. But you
also played for the Reno Big Horns, and I think
you might have had to leave a stint over in
Slovenia for a minute, right, I did? I did? Uh? Yes,
I was cut by Cleveland after my first year. The
decision was made, Bron went to Miami. Things changed, organization change.
We had Byron Scott who was there, who was was
a great coach, but very very tough preseason training camp
(05:59):
that we had. I had to go through all that
before I got cut, So which kind of suck you
go through that? Whole training camp of with Byron Scott.
You would hope to think you would stay on the team,
but it would be nice to be cut before that.
But I learned a lot. I got a chance to,
you know, give my ass kicked a little bit excuse
my language, in the in the training camp, but it
was a learning experience. I was trying to figure out
what to do. Was the truff. I was gonna go
over season and I went to the the D League
(06:19):
which is now the G League for a little bit.
I got actually before I went to the league, got
a couple of workouts in between. So I got called
up by San Antonio. Um, we had to workout, and
I think they signed either Chris Quinn or something like
that. That That I got another workout like a month later,
and then um, they signed me for a couple of
days and then you played two games, right, I was
around for two games, and I was around for two
games and us right before Thanksgiving and they were like,
(06:42):
you know what, we want somebody that actually the system
to give Mono bricks. That's the only reason why you know,
we want to and they had Emadoca was still a
player at the time, so he may have been there
new the system, and so they brought Emay in instead
of me because he knew the system better quicker to
give Monos some minutes. UM. So then that that was
the path of me going to the G League or
the D League then and playing a reno. So I
played a reno for a couple of months, you know,
(07:04):
got an opportunity to to you know, build my build
myself back up. Understand with the Spurs, how they the
atmosphere was like in the Spurs way of how they
did things. Um came back a little bit more humble
mentality and a little more hungrier type of uh, you know,
chip on my shoulder. So they gave me another opportunity
to have a chance to be on the team. End
of the season. I think we actually played Memphis that round,
(07:24):
Manu dislocated his elbow and I think we one seed,
the eight seed. When I'm losing that, I actually got
a chance again the game and you know, hit a
shot or too. But it was still mean at the
end of the bench and kind of the start of
the history of being with Antonio. We remember that series,
but not very fondly. Of course, the Mono got hurt,
as you mentioned, but that started a nice stretch for
you because you started to play a lot more. U.
The thirteen team made the finals, heartbreaking loss there. But
(07:45):
then the fourteen season, the season of redemption, the final seconds,
tick tick off. Santa Antonio is back on top once again.
The Spurs NBA champions. I think just about everybody's favorite
sea that's been around the Spurs in the last couple
of decades. I mean, we can all pick our favorite titles.
(08:05):
I've been with the teams until one, so I've been
for four of them, but that one, I think on
the heels of the disappointment and team made it special
for sure, But that was just the beginning. So after
that I had Then I went over to Sylvania after
the a lockout happened after that, so I went to
Slovenia and I went to play stay in shape. You know,
when the season or the league open back up. To
(08:25):
be able to play again, I had to come back
and make the team. So I was over there for
about four months, came back, made the team. Then I
got a chance to play a little more, and then
Manu was getting older. They've had him a minterstriction with
the hamstring issue, and then I actually got a chance
to start. My first start was one of the worst
in the history of the game. I think I was like,
oh for eight. It might have been in Philly at
the time too, and like, you know what, you can
only go up from here. So I end up starting,
and we played and we lost a couple. Uh, we
(08:47):
played well, but then I think that year we lost
in the Western Conference finals to Okay, see, I want
to say, that's right, nothing lead and then they flipped.
It happened. Which was a great year. We had a
lot of fun, but came up short. You know, up
three two going back to Miami big shots. It's still
a game in plays. I can't watch this day. Team was.
(09:07):
It was a rough one. You know, popazon Us is tough,
but for a good reason, and you know he was
preparing us for that time. And the time happened. We
had a chance to play against Miami again in the
finals and actually get it done. So it was said.
Everybody asked me, my favorite championship is hard to to pick.
I was, I had one of the Bubble, which is
one of the hardest mentally, emotionally. Um, then I said
I had one when I left San Antonio one year
(09:29):
when ye know, with Toronto and doing it for a
whole country was that never experienced it before, and then
doing it with San Antonio obviously, been able to come
back and play a team that we had just lost
the year before. That probably has a little edge on
the other ones because of how sweet it was able
to play that team that beat us the year before.
When you look back at your time in San Antonio, Danny,
what are your finest memories in terms of on the court,
and then maybe one or two things off the court,
(09:50):
maybe a relationship with the teammate or coach, just our dinners,
the guys that we had, um the groups that we
had in Thiago Boris is how unique they were Manu
of course, Patty, the relationship we building, we had the
markets later on. But but my favorite times on the court,
of course just playing with Timmy, playing with with Tony
and Mino. You know some of the things, some of
the small details Timmy spoiled us. You know, Tony the same.
(10:11):
You know, they made the game so easy and you
don't realize until you start playing with other people. And
now I've played with some greats, you know, Kyle Lowry
that was another great point and some great bigs Anthony Davis,
uh Lebron James and obviously quiet like, but I played
with some great players. Um, but those guys were just
just very unique and different in a way and so
humble in that system, and they simplified it. You know,
the guys the other guys I played with, um, their superstars,
(10:33):
but they did things I'm gonna say more difficult, but
they scored even more flash I guess. So they did
things were more jazz and more of a talented guy,
flashy player. Tony just he's gonna kill you silently get
to a spot and he'd be like, how does he
get to pull up every game? Where does he get
to his floor doors his right leg and lay up
every game and make it look easy? And you try
in the game and it doesn't work out as well
(10:54):
for you as it did for him. But you know
he perfected those things. And Timmy was just such a
humble superstar that he would set screens for you, you know,
find you open passes, um, encourage you do all the
little things that you don't expect from a superstar. You
don't realize that so you play with other superstars, um,
of how good you had it? So just all the
memories I had with them on the court and off
the court, just the dinners that we had got a
chance to hang out, kick it, talk, chop it up
(11:16):
um even off the even during free agency's time, or
in the gym late night, or see their kids and
so will seven the other days. See how growing their
kids are. Make you feel old. But all those memories,
men ahold, dear to heart, and I cherished them to
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(12:07):
league of relationships, isn't it, Danny, Yes, for sure, It's
crazy how small it is because everything comes full circle
and you know the guy that you saw in San Antonio,
like a Jordan maybe front office somewhere, and you know,
in New York or in Boston, it's like, oh, this
Spurs everywhere and it's just crazy. So Um, I've been
fortunate to play for a great organization, but not just
this one, but other ones where guys have spread out
and be able to know everybody, you know that are
(12:29):
in pretty good places and making big decisions. Was allowed
me to be in a in a place like Memphis
with a c L tear and getting an opportunity to
rehab because of my relationship with Taylor Jenkins and Brad
Jones and all the guys that were from San Antonio
to you know know what kind of person I am
in personality I am that they believe that I will,
you know, fight to get back as soon as possible.
And Taylor, of course has a deep relationship with Pop
(12:50):
and six years in the Spurs organization. Do you see
some similarities there? For sure? That's what made it easy.
When I first got here, I'm like, oh, this looks
all familiar. Obviously it's not the exact same. Um has
his own little twist to it. But I'm like, all right,
this is gonna be easy for me to adjust too
and to be able to learn and fit right in
just because of how they the culture they built here,
um and obvious exactly. The big part of that two
with Taylor Brad all those guys, with Dave McClure. We
(13:12):
have a couple of San Antonio guys. Blake was down
I think he might have played in the league team. Yeah,
so he was down there. So we have a lot
of times, a lot of guys from there that have
built the atmosphere to make it successful, to make it
easy to build for me to adjust to. And you know,
keep guys humble, and I'm hungry and understand how to
win and be successful. You've had a successful career down
You're in your mid thirties. Now, how much longer do
(13:33):
you think you can go? If if the injury holds up,
if you get back, and then also, I know that
you have a right future in the media. You've already
started a podcast years ago. Uh and uh, I I
remember kidding with you back in thirteen and fourteen, Like,
you know, your interviews are so good that you're gonna
have they got long ways ago and it still work
on it. But that's the transit, that's the hope, you know,
the transition into media and kind of do a little
(13:53):
bit what you do. But um, I think when you
get older, when you get past your thirties, of the
past thirty two, thirty three, you just take a year
by year. Um. But obviously I wouldn't, you know, play
as long as I can. Um. I think I got
at least you know, one or two more good years
left in me. Um, and then after that figured out
see how it goes from there. But and you know,
it might be on the media side of things, with
you and Matt Bonner and Sean Elliott doing what those
guys do. So I gotta get a wording with Matt
(14:15):
and Sean, you know that, like to tell you said,
so try to get my put my plugs in here
and when I can. You know, Danny, you're a big
part of Spurs history. We really appreciate it taking time
out to join his f the first podcast and with
a forward to seeing down the line anytime in the
place as Danny Green Daniel Richard Green, former Tariel and
former Spur And that is addition number ten of Sound
of Spurs Podcast presented by h g B. I'm Bill Schoening.
(14:37):
We'll see you next time.
Efficient offenses. For the most wanted is Danny Green. It's
down on the three. Danny Green looks down the three pointer.
Green has become one of the best three point shoots
in the league and Danny Green from downtown. Green is
now three for four from long distance. Left me speak
(00:21):
Green again. That's good, Danny Green. That's just tied right
out of record for post three's ever in an NBA Finals.
This is one of the most incredible shooting performances in
the history of the NBA Finals. What's up the three?
Puts it in? Danny Green does it again? Now as
(00:44):
an NBA Finals record for post three pointers in the
history of the Finals. This is funny three to break.
Ray Alex Park, Welcome to Sound of his first podcast.
I'm Bill showing Our very special guest is a three
time NBA champion and a guy who had three different
stints with the Spurs. We'll talk about those mostly the
third stint, not the first two because they didn't last
(01:05):
very long. Daniel Richard Green and the champion n C champion.
As with us, it's just like how man, It's been great.
It's good to see everybody be around your especially when
I come to San Antonio. You guys are coming here now,
four days in Memphis. A lot of fun, you know,
a lot of fun. You're injured right now, so I
know you're trying to recover from the knee injury. How's
that going on for you? It's going really well. Actually,
uh played some some pick up today. We've been playing
(01:26):
three on three, some one on ones early on starting
five on five soon. I don't want to give it,
but we have a we're very close. We were the
light is near and I'm ready to to hoop soon.
So let's just jump right into it that, Danny, Because
you're basketball journey is a very interesting one. It's checkered.
It's not like a real smooth path, right, so very lucky,
(01:46):
but it makes you appreciate what you got now. But
it didn't start out early, but you end up in
North Carolina an amazing college career. Just talk for a
moment about going from New York to North Carolina playing
in that kind of a program and all the success
you had with the tar Heels. Um, it was a
it was a culture shocking, you know, from New York
going to the South a little different, but um, you know,
ultimately my coach in high school was kind of crazy.
(02:08):
He was a little bit nuts, but he prepared me
for playing for coach Williams. Not saying coach Williams was
crazy or nuts, but he was very disciplined and on
that level, you know, you had to go live by
a certain uh, you know, certain lifestyle you had to do.
You have to be very disciplined, had to do with
certain small things, understand details, not cut corners, which ultimately
prepared me to play for Pop So. Um, you had
(02:29):
three crazy, great, great coaches, but you know, three perfectionists. Guys.
I want to see you you know, obviously do well,
but you know, find things that can make you be better.
You know, regardless of how good the game was or
how good of a game you had, Where can you
you know, get you know, achieve more? And what what
can you perfect? What can you do better at? What
can you do more? What can how can you help
the team even more so? Yeah, coming from New York
(02:50):
going to Carolina, UM, you know a lot of people
didn't think I was gonna play. You know, was American
luckier enough? But that was the last year you can
jump from high school to the NBA, And there was
a lot of guys that jump, but they were still
a very good class of guys that came in. We
had a lot of top recruits and another recruiting class
behind us that came in. And my my family wasn't sure.
People around me weren't sure if I should go there,
because they're like, you know, you might not get a
(03:10):
lot of minutes, you might not be featured. But my
dad and my brothers and family around me had a
good a lot of confidence in me and encourage me, like,
you know, we believe you can play anywhere. So it
was it was different. It was a culture shock, but
I learned a lot. I learned how to be a man.
I grew up there, Um gotta learn. I gotta to
build a new family in Chapel Hill and have some
brothers and uh, you know, we made some pretty good
(03:30):
history there as well. You were tempted to come out
after your junior year, like you decided to come back
for your senior year, and just looking at the way
that senior year, when I would imagine that was a
pretty good decision on your part. Yeah, it turned out well,
It turned out well, mind you, I didn't have much
of a choice anyway. It wasn't like I was gonna
be drafted a bunch of different or a bunch of
higher coming out of my my junior senior. I wasn't predicted
first round, you know, after my junior. But yes, I
(03:52):
want to test the water, just prepare myself mentally and
physically and to know what it would be like when
I do try to enter the draft. So we were
able to get the opportunity to do that. I got
a chance to test it out. See how I went.
Not just myself, but Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington also went
to test the waters. And we all came back and
things worked out pretty well for us. So you had
a lot of talented teammates there Carolina, for sure. But
(04:12):
you get drafted in the second round and you go
to Lebron and the Cleveland Cavaliers. What was that whole
experience like? Especially uh when Lebron kind of took you
in didn't for sure? You know, he had a great vibe,
great chemistry with everybody, but not just myself, but he
looked at me. I was pretty much the only rook
I was the only rookie we had. They had drafted
somebody else. He didn't come over. He stayed overseas Christian Diana.
So I was the only rookie. Um. We had bron Shack,
(04:34):
we had Anthony Parker Williams, we had a lot of
good Joskins, Andy Rajo. We had a great group. But
they all kind of took me in the when Brown
took me under his wing, and um, you know, I
learned a lot with a sponge. And as a rookie
you learn a lot of the things quickly, but not
in the best way. You know, you learn about inactive,
playing wearing a sport coat on a sideline, but not
(04:54):
one of the fourth that you learned as you go
to the buildings, like oh, you're inactive today, Like what
does that mean? It means you're you're not dressing up
be Like, oh, man, I thought it was like it's
esp at night game. Now I'm about the dressing, about
being a warm, being a court and my family is
gonna see me on TV, and like you're gonna be
in a sport coats to night. It's like so most
of my year, my rookie year, was being a sport coat.
So I didn't play much until you know, somebody got hurt,
(05:14):
somebody had a baby and an opportunity for like a
quarter and then somebody comes back at halftime and then
you know you're back on the bench. But it was
a learning experience. I was a sponge. I got a
chance to make some good relationships with some of those guys,
good rapport and learn and from some of the greats. Uh.
But you know, learn what the NBA was about. But
you had a lot of disappointments early in your career.
Danny Cleveland let you go. You had to end up.
(05:36):
You know, you had a couple of stints with the Spurs.
Maybe you can tell just a little the reader's digest
version of that before you finally came back. But you
also played for the Reno Big Horns, and I think
you might have had to leave a stint over in
Slovenia for a minute, right, I did? I did? Uh? Yes,
I was cut by Cleveland after my first year. The
decision was made, Bron went to Miami. Things changed, organization change.
We had Byron Scott who was there, who was was
a great coach, but very very tough preseason training camp
(05:59):
that we had. I had to go through all that
before I got cut, So which kind of suck you
go through that? Whole training camp of with Byron Scott.
You would hope to think you would stay on the team,
but it would be nice to be cut before that.
But I learned a lot. I got a chance to,
you know, give my ass kicked a little bit excuse
my language, in the in the training camp, but it
was a learning experience. I was trying to figure out
what to do. Was the truff. I was gonna go
over season and I went to the the D League
(06:19):
which is now the G League for a little bit.
I got actually before I went to the league, got
a couple of workouts in between. So I got called
up by San Antonio. Um, we had to workout, and
I think they signed either Chris Quinn or something like
that. That That I got another workout like a month later,
and then um, they signed me for a couple of
days and then you played two games, right, I was
around for two games, and I was around for two
games and us right before Thanksgiving and they were like,
(06:42):
you know what, we want somebody that actually the system
to give Mono bricks. That's the only reason why you know,
we want to and they had Emadoca was still a
player at the time, so he may have been there
new the system, and so they brought Emay in instead
of me because he knew the system better quicker to
give Monos some minutes. UM. So then that that was
the path of me going to the G League or
the D League then and playing a reno. So I
played a reno for a couple of months, you know,
(07:04):
got an opportunity to to you know, build my build
myself back up. Understand with the Spurs, how they the
atmosphere was like in the Spurs way of how they
did things. Um came back a little bit more humble
mentality and a little more hungrier type of uh, you know,
chip on my shoulder. So they gave me another opportunity
to have a chance to be on the team. End
of the season. I think we actually played Memphis that round,
(07:24):
Manu dislocated his elbow and I think we one seed,
the eight seed. When I'm losing that, I actually got
a chance again the game and you know, hit a
shot or too. But it was still mean at the
end of the bench and kind of the start of
the history of being with Antonio. We remember that series,
but not very fondly. Of course, the Mono got hurt,
as you mentioned, but that started a nice stretch for
you because you started to play a lot more. U.
The thirteen team made the finals, heartbreaking loss there. But
(07:45):
then the fourteen season, the season of redemption, the final seconds,
tick tick off. Santa Antonio is back on top once again.
The Spurs NBA champions. I think just about everybody's favorite
sea that's been around the Spurs in the last couple
of decades. I mean, we can all pick our favorite titles.
(08:05):
I've been with the teams until one, so I've been
for four of them, but that one, I think on
the heels of the disappointment and team made it special
for sure, But that was just the beginning. So after
that I had Then I went over to Sylvania after
the a lockout happened after that, so I went to
Slovenia and I went to play stay in shape. You know,
when the season or the league open back up. To
(08:25):
be able to play again, I had to come back
and make the team. So I was over there for
about four months, came back, made the team. Then I
got a chance to play a little more, and then
Manu was getting older. They've had him a minterstriction with
the hamstring issue, and then I actually got a chance
to start. My first start was one of the worst
in the history of the game. I think I was like,
oh for eight. It might have been in Philly at
the time too, and like, you know what, you can
only go up from here. So I end up starting,
and we played and we lost a couple. Uh, we
(08:47):
played well, but then I think that year we lost
in the Western Conference finals to Okay, see, I want
to say, that's right, nothing lead and then they flipped.
It happened. Which was a great year. We had a
lot of fun, but came up short. You know, up
three two going back to Miami big shots. It's still
a game in plays. I can't watch this day. Team was.
(09:07):
It was a rough one. You know, popazon Us is tough,
but for a good reason, and you know he was
preparing us for that time. And the time happened. We
had a chance to play against Miami again in the
finals and actually get it done. So it was said.
Everybody asked me, my favorite championship is hard to to pick.
I was, I had one of the Bubble, which is
one of the hardest mentally, emotionally. Um, then I said
I had one when I left San Antonio one year
(09:29):
when ye know, with Toronto and doing it for a
whole country was that never experienced it before, and then
doing it with San Antonio obviously, been able to come
back and play a team that we had just lost
the year before. That probably has a little edge on
the other ones because of how sweet it was able
to play that team that beat us the year before.
When you look back at your time in San Antonio, Danny,
what are your finest memories in terms of on the court,
and then maybe one or two things off the court,
(09:50):
maybe a relationship with the teammate or coach, just our dinners,
the guys that we had, um the groups that we
had in Thiago Boris is how unique they were Manu
of course, Patty, the relationship we building, we had the
markets later on. But but my favorite times on the court,
of course just playing with Timmy, playing with with Tony
and Mino. You know some of the things, some of
the small details Timmy spoiled us. You know, Tony the same.
(10:11):
You know, they made the game so easy and you
don't realize until you start playing with other people. And
now I've played with some greats, you know, Kyle Lowry
that was another great point and some great bigs Anthony Davis,
uh Lebron James and obviously quiet like, but I played
with some great players. Um, but those guys were just
just very unique and different in a way and so
humble in that system, and they simplified it. You know,
the guys the other guys I played with, um, their superstars,
(10:33):
but they did things I'm gonna say more difficult, but
they scored even more flash I guess. So they did
things were more jazz and more of a talented guy,
flashy player. Tony just he's gonna kill you silently get
to a spot and he'd be like, how does he
get to pull up every game? Where does he get
to his floor doors his right leg and lay up
every game and make it look easy? And you try
in the game and it doesn't work out as well
(10:54):
for you as it did for him. But you know
he perfected those things. And Timmy was just such a
humble superstar that he would set screens for you, you know,
find you open passes, um, encourage you do all the
little things that you don't expect from a superstar. You
don't realize that so you play with other superstars, um,
of how good you had it? So just all the
memories I had with them on the court and off
the court, just the dinners that we had got a
chance to hang out, kick it, talk, chop it up
(11:16):
um even off the even during free agency's time, or
in the gym late night, or see their kids and
so will seven the other days. See how growing their
kids are. Make you feel old. But all those memories,
men ahold, dear to heart, and I cherished them to
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(12:07):
league of relationships, isn't it, Danny, Yes, for sure, It's
crazy how small it is because everything comes full circle
and you know the guy that you saw in San Antonio,
like a Jordan maybe front office somewhere, and you know,
in New York or in Boston, it's like, oh, this
Spurs everywhere and it's just crazy. So Um, I've been
fortunate to play for a great organization, but not just
this one, but other ones where guys have spread out
and be able to know everybody, you know that are
(12:29):
in pretty good places and making big decisions. Was allowed
me to be in a in a place like Memphis
with a c L tear and getting an opportunity to
rehab because of my relationship with Taylor Jenkins and Brad
Jones and all the guys that were from San Antonio
to you know know what kind of person I am
in personality I am that they believe that I will,
you know, fight to get back as soon as possible.
And Taylor, of course has a deep relationship with Pop
(12:50):
and six years in the Spurs organization. Do you see
some similarities there? For sure? That's what made it easy.
When I first got here, I'm like, oh, this looks
all familiar. Obviously it's not the exact same. Um has
his own little twist to it. But I'm like, all right,
this is gonna be easy for me to adjust too
and to be able to learn and fit right in
just because of how they the culture they built here,
um and obvious exactly. The big part of that two
with Taylor Brad all those guys, with Dave McClure. We
(13:12):
have a couple of San Antonio guys. Blake was down
I think he might have played in the league team. Yeah,
so he was down there. So we have a lot
of times, a lot of guys from there that have
built the atmosphere to make it successful, to make it
easy to build for me to adjust to. And you know,
keep guys humble, and I'm hungry and understand how to
win and be successful. You've had a successful career down
You're in your mid thirties. Now, how much longer do
(13:33):
you think you can go? If if the injury holds up,
if you get back, and then also, I know that
you have a right future in the media. You've already
started a podcast years ago. Uh and uh, I I
remember kidding with you back in thirteen and fourteen, Like,
you know, your interviews are so good that you're gonna
have they got long ways ago and it still work
on it. But that's the transit, that's the hope, you know,
the transition into media and kind of do a little
(13:53):
bit what you do. But um, I think when you
get older, when you get past your thirties, of the
past thirty two, thirty three, you just take a year
by year. Um. But obviously I wouldn't, you know, play
as long as I can. Um. I think I got
at least you know, one or two more good years
left in me. Um, and then after that figured out
see how it goes from there. But and you know,
it might be on the media side of things, with
you and Matt Bonner and Sean Elliott doing what those
guys do. So I gotta get a wording with Matt
(14:15):
and Sean, you know that, like to tell you said,
so try to get my put my plugs in here
and when I can. You know, Danny, you're a big
part of Spurs history. We really appreciate it taking time
out to join his f the first podcast and with
a forward to seeing down the line anytime in the
place as Danny Green Daniel Richard Green, former Tariel and
former Spur And that is addition number ten of Sound
of Spurs Podcast presented by h g B. I'm Bill Schoening.
(14:37):
We'll see you next time.
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