Black History Month Inspirations | A Path of Perseverance

behind Lebron James, who has the most with four. Not bad for a guy who was taken in the middle of the second round of the two thousand nine draft and had to break into the league through the G League. I've been lucky enough to play against alongside some great players and you know, guys that also know how to win. When I got a chance to play for some true professionals and playing for a coach Pop Simmy, Tony Manu, you know that stigma kind of six with you and

everybody that's winning. It makes it easier to be a part of winning organizations. People want you to be on board, but you learn a lot from those guys. Little things, the details A good part of it. This is being kind of lucky. Clearly, Green is a skilled deflector, but his modesty shouldn't belie his skills. He's one of the top three point marksmen in the game and is an All League defender. His new head coach feels Green shouldn't sell himself short. He knows how to playoff of talent,

and he's done a great job of that. He's been fortunate in his career when you think about it, with all the great players that he's been able to play next to, and that's an art. It is. It's an art for him when you learn how to still play well off of great players, and Danny has done a great job of that. That's why we wanted them. A lot of these guys make it easier for you to play basketball game when they're they're All stars, they're superstars, Hall of famers, and you just do what you do.

But you trying to find way to make the game easier for them and learn them. Green in the corner thought about a three goes to bed and a layup is good? Nice, fine by Danny Green. He did rise as if to shoot the ball, but at the last moment it is deflected. And he recalibrated it throws it down to sibbons just come in depending on what the roster looks like, the fit looks like, the coaching system

looks like, an organization looks like. You figure out said how to be that translator, but also what the team needs, what the organization needs, and if it needs defense, which is always need defense, I gotta bring that defense esbon or offense. I might need need to be aggressive in scoring. I might need to be a facilitator or a screener or got to get people open or create a mismatch. So if the team needs that, or rebounding the offense, rebound,

tip outs, whatever it may be. You gotta do those little pieces and figure that out along the way as you're getting better as a group. It's a process that Greenness had to perfect the past few seasons. After playing for San Antonio from twenty ten to twenty eighteen, the thirty three year old has been a man on the move. He started each of the last three seasons with new teams. This busy night has already started with a wal Bob. We've got to trade breaking news coming in. Daryl Morey's

wasted no time. The new Philly GM traded Al Horford for Danny Green and Terrace Ferguson. According to Adrian or Janowski, and there are a lot of things to break down here with that Green now sports sixers, red, white, and blue. Was something that back in training camp he was still wrapping his head around. It's tough to believe and tough to get used to these colors. It's kind of been manifesting for some time, even when I've played here against

the team. When I'll go to restaurants, people, you know, come to Philly, come here, come here. You know. I'm just trying to do what they brought me here to do. And that's a helped lead this team. We've got some good pieces now they have some great my eyes all stars with Joel Ben and Tobias There's a lot of depth on this team and I think we have the pieces to do something special this year. When it comes to Green's value, it's a no brain er why any

team in the NBA would want him. He's got the pedigree, the personality, the three and D pro to space the floor. So when the Oklahoma City Thunder made Green available on Draft Night, just two days after acquiring him from the Los Angeles Lakers. The Sixers pounced. Daryl Morey thought Green would be a perfect fit. Those have watched the Sixers up close and person no longer than me know that, like when they've had when when Joel and Ben have

had that shooter. It's actually insane how good those those lineups and how good those teams played. I think it's different with different rosters, different organizations, different teams. We have different pieces of different personalities. I think the first step for me is just building a rapport with the guys in the locker room, kind of trying to earn their respect or just kind of earn their trust, and then

build from there. Let's execute. Now, thanks you keep slambling with the shooters, get rebounds, we all get on the ward and then obviously with the coaching staff as well, build the trust of the coaching staff and then kind of find my niche my role to where I can be the community here they're relaying the messages between the coaches and players and getting out of guys what we need to do and get to the coaches of what guys you know, needn't want great execution there we go.

So first building that trust and that rapport and that respect first, and then kind of you know, going into philosophies and defense and offensive XS and os and that stuff which can wait later. But we're trying to build trust now and build some camaraderie, some bonding, some teamwork, and that's because that goes a long way. That's more important than anything else. But it's not play. You gotta have chemistry first, taking lessons from the past and applying

them to the present. I've been a part of some great organizations, some great teammates, but also we kind of figured it out and everybody has kind of lost themselves in the game and been selfless when it comes to, you know, wanting to win. So hopefully we can do that this year with this group. Hopefully we can keep the streak going, keep the streak alive. But yeah, I know at some point it's probably gonna end, but hopefully

not this year. More of Black History Month inspirations coming up. Hey, it's Brian Seltzer and here at the seventy six ers podcast Network. We strive to bring you sound content as much as we possibly can. Mondays, leave a voicemail and listen to your calls. Two five zero, three, seven six three seven on mail Bag Mondays with myself and Lauren Rosen. Every other Tuesday it's co Check focusing on the Delaware Bluecoats, and every other Thursday listen to Tom's Talks with Tom McGinnis.

On Fridays, it's the weekly Deep Dive with Divine Givens. And we're also really excited to be rolling out a brand new feed, The Scoop, a five minute update just about every day. All you gotta do is Searge seventy six or Scoop wherever you get your pods to subscribe or follow. Thanks for listening and we'll talk to you soon. Now back to Black History Month inspirations. Dandy Green was born in nineteen eighty seven and grew up on the

south shore of Long Island in North Babylon. Need a point of reference, It's essentially the next town over from Islate, closer to Manhattan Islands, where current teammate Tobias Harris was raised. I'm knowing him and his family since I can remember, since I was a teenager. I remember when he was young. Back then, Tobias a little heavier set kid. He was a little chunky guy. Tobias Harrison. I remember my dad used to referees game. Some of my friends referees games.

The youngest I can remember watching him play was probably said, I guess middle school era, about twelve thirteen years old, maybe before that, but I've seen him playing in high school fifteen sixteen. That's when he shot up from being a not short, chunky guy, but a wider guy to a tall, you know, slim guy out of nowhere. He can grow five six inches in the summer. Him his brother and I'm like, damn, how to hells y'all grow

so fast? But took the game serious. He worked out every day, was in the gym, him and his brothers. You know, all the hard work paid off for him, and I was happy to see it. Green is about five years older than Harris, but their shared roots has always been a source of respect. He's been one of the best talents ever come out and proven that you know, Long Island has some ballplayers. Could have been also arguably a couple of years that he's been in this league.

You know, I've just been watching him grow and I couldn't be more proud of a guy, you know, seeing him grow up as he was a youngster to where he is now, and being a teammate of his now Green for Harris, who threw it down nicely done between those two, Danny Green dropping a dime on Tobias Harris. Hopefully we can make some special happen and bring it back to Long Island, not just the city of Philadelphia,

but bringing this back to Long Island as well. Wherever Green has gone, he's taken the formative influences of life on Long Island with him, specifically his relationship with his dad, Danny Green Senior. He raised me since I was young, and he put the basket on my hands. He taught me this game, He taught me how to drive, tell me everything. Green's mother left home when he was young, leaving Big Danny responsible for the family. You know, he was a single dad at one point and raised me

and my brothers. There's now five of us total, but there was three of us. He taught me the game, He told me about life, to me a lot about lessons of life. Teaching came naturally to Green Senior, so much so that he made it his profession. There's two things I asked my players to do on my travel time. If you know what those two things are, John the Christian listen and follow directions. So just listen to follow directions. Thing's gonna happen to you in life. Life's not easy

and it's not always any fun. It's still be hard life. This meant to me how I'd challenge you and every day there's gonna be something thrown into you. Now, how you deal with that? So there's the other thing. He also made it his duty at home sharing stories with his children about world changing black leaders past and present. A lot of those things, a lot of things they went through have always stuck with me, and how they operated and how they fought through so many tough times

and issues and still stood tall. Learning from him, learning from them. I can't just list or say one name that was one inspirational. They were all inspirational to me, from Martin Luther King to Malcolm X to Nelson Mandela said to Barack Obama. Now, so the list goes on. In March of two thousand and six, the bond between Green and his father faced another substantial test. Days after his freshman season at UNC came to a disappointing end with a second round NCAA tournament loss to George Mason.

Green learned his father had been arrested back on Long Island. Green Senior has always maintained his innocence. While the initial charges were dropped, another conspiracy charge was brought up. Green Senior pleaded guilty to avoid a possible eight to twenty five year prison sentence. He ended up serving nearly twenty two months and got out in March two thousand and eight. The terms of his parole prevented him from traveling out of state to watch Green in that year's Final Four.

In two thousand and nine, he got his chance and saw Green and Unc win a title My family Stand Up. I love you guys so much. That means back to me that you can make it here today. So significant. To have a strong not just male, but any father figure of course is very important. And mother figure. You don't realize how important it is until you don't have one. You need that guidance you need, you know, for boys, you need to be taught how to be a man

and also how to treat women. So you need both of those figures there, but also the things that you go through as a black male, as the things they went through and that you'll probably see and be prepared for, and how we're you know, behind, and we had to do the extra work to be equal to most people

in this world. So those a lot of lessons that I was taught as a youngster, A lot of things I had to see in my own to teach about racism, how people might see you as less than them, and how you know, you might not get certain opportunities of certain interviews because of the color skin, or people might stereotype you or categorize you because of the color skin. A lot of those things I would not know if I didn't have my dad on, my father figure, all

those people to look up to around me. More than a decade later, Green and his family have reaped the rewards of his perseverance. He's one of the most respected successful role players in recent history, and now hopes to bring his championship touch to a new team in a

new city again. It's been a whirlwind. This whole year has been a worldin for everyone, so, you know, I can't just say for me, but at twenty twenty has been kind of crazy up and down with COVID obviously stopping and going and restarting, and short offseason, you know, being traded and being traded again, and only having six weeks off. We already kind of knew that going into the bubble that was gonna be short term around, but

we didn't think it was gonna be that short. Looking forward to the task, looking forward to the season, been a whirlwind. It's been a lot of ups and downs. Still kind of riding that wave. When now we're back to work, you know, no more championship. We gotta kind of pull ourselves again and do it here. We're ready to take on that task, that challenge. Black History Month Inspirations is a production of the seventy six Ers podcast Network.

Our voiceover artist is Nick McCain. Production support from Danny Green Music courtesy of APM Music. Select information for the story was sourced from ESPN, the New York Daily News, and the University of North Carolina. Look traditional installments in this mini series throughout Black History Month, with future episodes profiling Mike Scott and Eldon Brant