While his tenure with the Toronto Raptors may have concluded after he helped them win their first championship in franchise history, Danny Green has yet to receive his championship ring for that season thanks to a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and some weird schedule quirks.
The former second-rounder and grizzled veteran decided to leave for the Lakers one year after, where he picked up another championship alongside LeBron James. Green ended up on the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2020-21 season, and he decided to disappoint a handful of contenders by re-upping with Philadelphia for 2021-22.
Green and the 76ers will make their first trip to Toronto this year right after Christmas on December 28, and No. 14 will have an extra reason to celebrate, as he will finally be honored for playing a part in Toronto’s rise to the top of the NBA mountain.
After refusing to accept his championship ring until he was able to play in Toronto, citing the fact that he wants to celebrate with the city, Green should be able to pick up his ring on the 28th. He might not have had the gaudiest numbers, but his clutch shooting is a big reason why the Raptors overcame the mighty Warriors.
“I’d rather do it in front of the fans and the city where I played, where I spent a great year,” Green said. “I told them me and Phil would prefer to just do it in the city when we’re able to play in arenas again. They wanted to do one here, and then do another on there too, and I said it’s not necessary, you guys can just hold on to it.”
Danny Green will get his Toronto Raptors championship ring.
After eight years in San Antonio, Green started all but two games in the regular season, averaging 10.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, all while playing excellent perimeter defense and making 45% of his 3-point attempts. After a rough start to the postseason, Green turned it around against Golden State.
Green averaged 7.3 points per game and made 36% of his 3-pointers, many of which either blunted Golden State’s momentum or helped put the Raptors ahead by a convincing amount in a close situation. Sure, he might be helping out a rival in Philly right now, but he’ll be a part of that title-winning team forever.
Kawhi Leonard was the main offensive threat, Kyle Lowry was the veteran leader, and Pascal Siakam was the young gun who rose to new heights in the postseason. Green’s role as the 3-and-D sniper might not have been as showstopping as the roles those three occupied, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t play a part in the title run.