6 teams across 15 years in the NBA and San Antonio was the start of it all for the eventual 3x NBA champion. He would go on to earn his first NBA championship, defensive recognition, and become a force in three-point executions. But the run with the franchise off the court might not have been exactly smooth or maybe that just helped Danny Green attain the feats he did. 

The 2009 NCAA champion opened up about the challenges he faced while playing for the San Antonio Spurs on a recent episode of Dwight Howard‘s podcast. As a communication major, podcast or media was another option for Green to consider, but playing for the franchise he could not start one or even come up with the idea, because they weren’t supportive of it. 

Now that Green has his own podcast, Green Room, the off-court side of the 37-year-old has been more visible to the fans. This is something Dwight Howard points out, building on Green’s revelation of restrictions. “A lot of people couldn’t see the other side of Danny from playing because in San Antonio was it like, it wasn’t allowed,” the 3x DOPY inquires.

According to Green, the best way to put it is, the franchise just wanted the best of the players on the court. So the players were never allowed to get too comfortable, there was always a lingering pressure.

“Ultimately, they never make you feel comfortable in a sense to where you’re always hungry and working hard. Because I mean they just want you to focus only on basketball and they feel the best way to get the best out of you is to kind of in a nondirect way. Put the pressure on you to know that your spot is never safe so that you’re always, every day, earning your spot, earning your keep, you’re earning your position,” Green said on Above the Rim Podcast.

The McDonald’s All-American believes that the discomfort while playing for Spurs helped him maintain his pace. From barely being drafted into the league to becoming one of only four players in NBA history to win three championship titles with three different teams, the former San Antonio Spurs player has come a long way; learning from the franchise in the process. 

Danny Green announced his retirement

The Spurs seem to maintain a consistent discipline with their players. Currently, the team is looking to build an identity with Wembanyama as their top defender. Green’s take on the work ethics of the franchise explains a lot. After all, he is also one of the Spurs’ most beloved players. Having played in the league for 15 years, he made a name for himself and just days ago, announced his retirement on his YouTube. 

“My body was letting me know. I was getting little calf strains here and there. But also, when you get older, teams aren’t calling as much. Unfortunately, my services weren’t as sought after as they were when I was younger. It’s been a hell of a ride,” Green said. The Champ won an NCAA championship with North Carolina and was drafted as the 46th pick. He also boasts a record of 1,577 3-pointers.

Green joined the Spurs in 2010, however, he was waived by the franchise just after 6 days. And that’s probably set the fear in him. After playing in the NBA Development League, the 37-year-old joined Spurs again for a 1-year deal. During his 3rd time in 2011, he stayed.

This is where he was able to start as a shooting guard and helped take the team to the NBA Finals two years later. While the Spurs lost, Green was able to make a record of 27 three-pointer in the series which was later broken by the Stephen Curry. The championship then, only came in 2014. The second with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 and the third with the LA Lakers in 2020. 

Known as a 3-point marksman, Green was finally able to launch his podcast, Inside the Green Room, in July 2018, soon after he left the Spurs. So safe to say, the NBA star experienced the best of both worlds.