By Freddy Wolfe
Jeff Green, born and raised in Prince George’s County, has been crowned an NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets after playing for 11 teams over 15 seasons.
Born in Cheverly and raised in College Park, Green attended Northwestern High School, averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds during his senior year.
However, despite being a top 150 recruit, Green was passed over by the Maryland Terrapins, fresh off their National Championship in 2002; coach Gary Williams opted to sign Good Counsel’s James Gist instead.
In response, Green put up a 19-point, 14-rebound per-game effort in the Maryland 4A tournament to lead the NHS Wildcats to a state championship in 2004.
Green decided to attend Georgetown University, where he earned Big East Rookie of the Year honors in 2005, playing all 32 games of the season while shooting 50 percent from the field and leading the team in rebounds, assists and blocks — the first Georgetown player ever to lead the team in these three categories.
In 2007, Green was named the Big East Player of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the All-Big East First Team, along with teammate Roy Hibbert. Green then went on to lead the Georgetown Hoyas to their first Big East title since 1989 and a Final Four appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Deciding to forgo his senior year, Green entered the 2007 NBA Draft. The Boston Celtics selected him with the fifth overall pick. However, Green would spend the next four summers finishing his degree between NBA seasons, graduating in 2012 with a degree in English and a minor in theology.
Green was traded before his first season to the Seattle Supersonics. He made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2008 after averaging 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 80 games.
In 2011, eight days after re-signing with the Celtics, Green’s contract was voided after a routine physical examination detected an aortic aneurysm. He would subsequently miss the entire 2011-12 season to undergo heart surgery.
Green joined the Denver Nuggets in 2021. During this past championship season, Green averaged 7.8 points and helped the Nuggets win their first NBA championship.
“This is what you live for, this is all the sacrifice, all the blood, sweat, and tears. The countless hours,” Green told SportsCenter. “For me, going through the [heart] surgery, 11 teams, adapting to every environment – this is what it’s all for. All that sacrifice, it paid off.”