Just 11 years ago, Jeff Green’s life was put to a crossroads, and he even considered retiring from professional basketball. Still, that 2012 episode feels like a long time ago, especially since the veteran can now call himself an NBA champion as Denver won Game 5 of the Finals against Miami.
The Nuggets reached their first-ever NBA title after a 4-1 championship streak Monday at Ball Arena, not only marking Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, but the purchase also marked a career achievement for several veterans on the Colorado roster.
Back when Green represented the Boston Celtics from 2011 to 2015, his 2011/12 campaign took a significant turn as medical staff discovered an aortic aneurysm during a routine physical. The athlete missed the rest of that season, only to miraculously return the following year.
The 36-year-old arrived in Denver in 2021 as his 11th NBA All-Star. Now, he can finally say that he feels grateful for enduring such a long journey to the top of the league.
“Man, I can’t even put it into words. This is what you live for, all the sacrifices, all the blood and sweat and tears — the countless hours.” Green told the press. “For me, during surgery, 11 teams, adapting to every environment, that’s what it was all about. All that sacrifice paid off.”
Take a look at the veteran player’s comments after they beat The Heat 94-89:
Green admitted he felt on top of the world after getting his first ring, especially by being able to celebrate the achievement with teammate Ish Smith, who played for 13 teams in as many campaigns.
“It’s just a narcissistic feeling, like my celebration,” Smith admitted when asked how it felt to win the league title.
“It was fun. I can’t even lie to you. You don’t usually say that when you’re not playing and you’re playing the lead,” said Smith. “It was really fun.”
Jokic and Coach Malone talked about the importance of the team’s veterans
According to most of the characters on the team, they wouldn’t have been able to reach their first NBA title without their seasoned wisdom.
“When you have veterans who are really selfless and don’t worry, ‘Hey, I’m not in the playoffs,’ but are still invested in the team and the team’s success and are willing to use their voice in a positive way, that’s really impactful,” said Coach Michael Malone. .
When asked how important the team’s veterans are to his club, Serbian star Nikola Jokic said it was all about healthy communication and reflexes.
“When they talk, everyone listens because if you listen to them, you can hear some really clever things that can help you play the game,” the big guy assured. “I really appreciate them and really thank them.”