Danny Green has come under major fire after missing a wide-open three in Game 5. Not only would that three have won Lakers the game, but it would also have brought the team their 17th NBA Championship. It could have been Green’s ‘John Paxson’ moment, but he missed the shot.
Missing shots is part and parcel for basketball players, but Lakers fans got really aggressive with Danny.
Considering the stakes of the shot, LA fans were upset. However, their reaction has been inappropriate, as Green and his fiancee have been flooded with actual death threats. The two-time champion responded to the threats in his media appearances prior to Game 6.
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Danny Green said his fiancee received death threats: "I got so many messages, I can't even hit delete all button… I had to ask, are you getting death threats? She's like yeah… It's a game. Fans are emotional… I hope they are that passionate about voting or injustice."
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) October 11, 2020
It is good to see that Green doesn’t seem completely shaken by the actions of the Lakers fan. While it is one of the most demanding fanbases in basketball, an out-of-proportion reaction like this should never be encouraged. At the end of the day, it is just a basketball game and no player should have his life threatened over how they perform.
Danny Green and his struggles in the Finals
Despite being one of the best shooters in NBA Finals history, Green is having a hard time in the Finals. He is averaging just 6.8 points on horrendous shooting splits. He is shooting about 25% from three and just over 30% from the field. For a man making $15 million a year based on his reputation as a playoff performer, the Lakers must feel hard done.
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But there are always opportunities for redemption. Green will most likely be on the floor in Game 6, and he could use all of this hate as a boost to his mindset. We have seen Danny Green be clutch in the playoffs before- it literally happened last season. But today is a new time, and Green needs to respond in Game 6.
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