34-year-old Danny Green isn’t ready to call it quits just yet. Even after tearing his ACL earlier this month, the 3x NBA Champion confirmed that he’s determined to go out on his terms.
Speaking on his podcast, Green announced his plans for the future and told fans he’d be back on the floor before the All-Star break.
“I’d like to end on my own terms and not a major injury. I will be back before All-Star break. You better believe it. You heard it here first. So I will work my tail off to rehab to get back healthy. My body and my bones usually heal pretty well. I don’t have any bad habits. So, yeah, I think I’ll be back in time to help the team in the playoff run and show and prove that I’m able to still play at that level to help a team get a win in the playoffs.”
Green suffered the injury in Game 6, and many have doubted that he will ever make a return to the NBA. Even when fully healthy, Green classifies as a streaky shooter with practically no athleticism.
Still, he is keeping his head up and seems hopeful about the future:
“Joel got to the rim, I saw him lay it up … I didn’t know if it went in or not, but I just remember taking a tumble,” said Green after the injury. “I tried to move, but I couldn’t get out fast enough. It just happened so fast. But I saw it happening and I was trying to like, pull my leg out, but it caught beneath me and he rolled into it. I knew once it happened, I felt it. I knew I wasn’t able to return to the game, but I didn’t realize how serious it was until I tried to put weight on it, and it buckled. Then I realized it’s probably gonna take some time.”
After another failed season, the 76ers need to do some serious self-reflection if they want to break out of their cycle of dysfunction. This summer, team GM and President Daryl Morey is expected to make some major moves to shake up the roster.
And now, with Green’s injury, it’s yet another factor they will have to consider as they navigate free agency and gear up toward a new season. If he’s able to come back as at least mostly the same player, it will no doubt be a huge relief to the team and their fans.
