The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the 1980s. They won five titles in the 80s, and they made it to eight NBA Finals.
- NBA Career
- The Iron Man
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The Lakers were known as the “Showtime Lakers”, and they had some popular players on their roster.
They had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy. These players were all household names.
The Lakers also had a player who wasn’t a big name, yet, they could always count on him to be ready to play. That player was A.C. Green.
Green grew up in Portland, Oregon, and he attended Oregon State University, where he finished second in school history in rebounding and fourth in scoring.
Green got his name, “A.C.” from his father’s mother, Amanda, and his father’s father, Chester.
NBA Career
The Lakers won the NBA championship in 1985, and by the time the 1985-86 NBA Draft came around, the Lakers held the 23rd pick.
The Lakers selected Green with that pick, putting him on an instant championship contender.
The Lakers failed to win the title in Green’s rookie season, but in his next two seasons, with more playing time, Green helped the Lakers win back-to-back titles.
In the two seasons where the Lakers won the title, Green played solid basketball. He averaged 11.1 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting better than 50% from the field.
The Lakers would make it back to their third consecutive NBA Finals with Green on the team, but they were outplayed by the Detroit Pistons.
As a member of the Lakers, Green was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1988–89, and he was voted a starter on the 1990 Western Conference All-Star Team.
Green would eventually leave the Lakers as a free agent and sign with the Phoenix Suns in the 1993-94 season.
In the 1996–97 season, Green was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He stayed in Dallas until September 1, 1999, when he was traded back to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Green’s second stint with the Lakers lasted only one year, but he won his third title as the Lakers, now led by Shaquille O’Neal and a young Kobe Bryant, defeated the Indiana Pacers 4-2 in the 2000 NBA Finals.
The 2000-01 NBA season would be Green’s last, and he played it in Miami, as a member of the Heat.
Green ended his career with averages of 9.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on 49.4% shooting.
Green’s statistical numbers weren’t that impressive, but his other numbers are. I’m talking about the number of games he played consecutively…
The Iron Man
When it comes to the Iron Man of sports, most people jump to MLB’s
Cal Ripken Jr. who famously broke MLB great Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played record.
When it comes to the NBA, not too many people know who holds the record. Well, if you’re still reading this article, you already know A.C. Green is the NBA’s Iron Man.
Green’s streak started on November 19, 1986, in a game where the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the San Antonio Spurs. The next time Green would miss a game would be when he retired in 2001.
Green only missed three games during his entire career. All three of those games came in his second season.
Green played in 1,192 consecutive games, which is impressive, especially since basketball is a fast-paced sport with a lot of bumping and hitting.
The previous holder of the NBA Iron Man title was Randy Smith, who played 906 straight games between the 1972 to 1982 NBA seasons.
Green’s record almost didn’t happen in the 1995–96 season, when New York Knicks power forward, J. R. Reid intentionally elbowed him in the face.
Green would leave the game after losing two teeth and suffering a head injury. There was doubt Green would play in the next game, but before tip-off, Green said he felt fine.
So, Green put on a face mask and went back to work. He’d be stuck on a minutes restriction for the next few weeks, but the point was, Green was there, ready to play.
This moment showed what type of player Green was. He was always there for his teammates, ready to do whatever it took to win the game.
Green didn’t care about stats and looking good, he was willing to do the dirty work.
That’s why when you think of all the great players who have played in the NBA, don’t forget about the NBA Iron Man, who won three NBA Championships the right way.
