TOM's Talks | Checking In With Danny Green

the seventy Sixers Western Conference road trip. Here's Danny Green. Welcome to another edition of Tom's Talks, and it is a pleasure to talk to Sixers guard forward Danny Green, who joins us from Phoenix as the Sixers rough out on this Western Conference road trip. And Danny, thank you so much. I know it was a long night for you getting from Portland to Phoenix. That's life in the NBA that a lot of people don't realize. The late

arrivals and you know some of those things. Everyone thinks that so glamorous, And don't get me wrong, you guys are created really well. I know this is an unusual year, but that right there, the early arrival is something that people don't realize, right. Yeah, Unfortunately it's snowed in Portland on our way out, so we got to lay it a little bit leaving or getting up in the air, so we'd end up getting here it's about four am.

But you know, it's the life of as part of the job's life of an NBA and some nights it's gonna be like that. Not off the nights, but we got in here late. Luckily we had the day off to we'll take care of our body's relax and rest a little bit. I still got to get tested at some point during the day. But yeah, we took a tough loss and we have two more games road trips, so we're trying to finish it out strong and hopefully win the next two before we go back home to

the Philly. Just to piggyback on that for one second. And you've been around long enough to remember the four games and five nights, which typically involved West coast travel and for the Spurs maybe it was up here in the east, but there were nights you'd go to bed like three o'clock, four o'clock, then you were off the day, and then the next two nights might be the same, like the sleep and the deprivation. That's like one of the big things. I know there's been a huge push

on the hydration and recovery, but speak about that. That's

where you really have to take care of your body correct. Oh, for sure, most recovery is done after the game and while you're in the air before you because most nights, said on road trips and even at home, most guys don't go to sleep right after the games, you know, watching the game, thinking about it, things they did wrong, could have did well, or how well they did do So most guys are said, I don't sleep at the games right way, it's a little harder to sleep at

the game. So most guys are going three or four in the morning, and depending on if you're flying and travel and it's gonna be five six in the morning. So hydrating, getting your rest, getting you know, time for treatment is very key when it comes to during these times, especially said when you're on the road. So yeah, it says as part of our we don't really have a

sleep schedule during the year. You know, it's based off of how your games are, so it's kind of depth and adjust So when you can't get sleep, when you can take naps, and when you can take care of your body. So you know, there is no real clock for us. We have to just figure out on the fly.

So big picture with the Sixers so far this year, you know, it's such an unusual season and you were win the bubble last year and we'll talk about that, but you have to feel pretty good for how you guys are doing at this stage of the season with everything that's going on. Yeah, that's with the fact that we've had COVID issues, We've had guys out, we had groups out, we had a lot of guys injured. Stick but when I'm starting five is played, we've won a

good amount of games. So yeah, even with that those things, those issues coming far, we've been playing pretty obviously want to be better, we want to do better, we want to never be satisfied. And we're not playing for right now. We're playing for you know, June, July and August now August or May, June and July because you was a May and June, but the season is different now, so we're playing for the end of the season and get prepared for that. And we know we have a good group.

Just still learning, learning, and losses. So obviously learning how to win, keep that mature atmosphere of be able to you know, not play down to our talent level or play down to our opponent opposing teams level if they're not as talented or if they're have bodies out, because we've lost to Portland twice now and when they had bodies out. So we got to find ways to win down the stretch and find ways to stay focused and

locked in. We have guys out, and when other teams have guys out, we don't play down to as at our opposing teams level. You're a solid all around player, a very good professional player. You've wanted every single stop and again we're going to get into that, but you're a star in your a role, especially in today's NBA with the three and the D where you know that corner jump shot guarding one of the best perimeter players

I mean opposing team. Like a big chunk of your career has married or meshed if you will, with how the NBA game changed of all last five or twelve years. Isn't that right for sure? And my focus is winning games, not necessarily obviously you want to play well, you perform it I'll have individual numbers and stats and efficiency, but sometimes you have to give that up. You have to

sacrifice those things to make the team better. And at this point in my career, I know iously I would love to scope poin so that's not what they need me here to do. Any me here to be the balance and when it comes to Guy's double and Joe out to be a four spacer and play defense, but also be the guy that helps to get the ball

moving and keep the ball moving. So because we'll get stagnant and we'll have good offense, I have to get guys in position or talking through it or defensively make sure that we're communicating and rotating the way we need to. Um So that that comes with sacrificing some of the things that you know when your younger years you would want to achieve and want to do. But yeah, so

winning is is my main focus. Um And said. As you as you grow as a player, you start to understand your roles and what you're good at, which your strengths are, and you just got to be more self aware of who you are and what you become and what they bring you in to do. And you gotta able to accept that role a lot of kids. I was the younger ones. They're like, all right, I understand the rolling, but I can know I want to show that I can do more. I was in this moment

to do that. But when you're trying to win, you have a team that you're a contender, you should just do what you're what you're you know, put in place to do and trying to do the best your ability. And obviously when you can do a little more, you can, but don't try to force the issue you just described about playing the right way and doing what's necessary. In other words, for the sixers, for Joel to throw it out of a trap, to move it to the wing, for that guy to throw it to the top, swing

swing to the corner to you or Seth whomever. Basketball is like art, it can be a thing of beauty. So you're solving a puzzle and then executing and making that ball swinging around and swishing a three. That's the beauty of the sport, right there? Isn't it? In part or Doc has a turn for it. I want to reveal it. But you know, as coaches, you know his

their coaches fantasy type of thing. So um, when you see the ball movement the way it does, and guys making shots and sharing and playing with each other and making the right cuts and making the right passes, making the right play. Giving up a good shot for a great shot as a coach's dream, so you know he

enjoys it. We enjoy I enjoy at this point in my carem in this level because I don't care about so as long as we get the best shot for us a lot of times, none times to tend you're gonna make shop, you give up a good shot for

a greer shot. One of the things that's made the Sixers successful so far this year is success down the stretch as somebody who's been in the winner circle when it's all over so many times in your career in college in Europe and three times as a pro, when you guys do it in the fourth quarter and execute and take a play to the second and the third option and see the results and then come away victorious

knowing that you've done it. Does that work like muscle memory where it kind of clicks in and as athletes, you know, man, we've been down this road before. We're going to do this collectively, we're gonna make it happen. Does it pay off like that? Does it work like that? For sure? If you build those habits, and that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to build those habits here in this organization, in this atmosphere. Obviously we're still

learning it. We've executed, we've done it, but we want to do it time and time again and have it to where we're used to be in those situations where there's no second guessing, there's no thinking, where we're just you know, playing the way we're supposed to play and you know, executing. So yeah, down the stretch, of course, we want to continue to play at a high level.

We want to win games and execute. And right now said obviously with Portland, there's gonna be some games, we're gonna have some take some hits or some losses, but the biggest thing is just making the winning place. And that happens not just in the fourth quarter of the place. The quarter is previous, but definitely the fourth quarter. You

gotta get on those balls. You gotta get the fifty fifties, you gotta get the rebounds, you gotta get the steals, you gotta get the stops, and that's what it comes down to in the fourth quarter, down the stretch. One of the reasons the Sixers brought you to this ball club is what you bring to the table. We just talked about that ability to score and guard, but leadership, and with that leadership, it's not just coming out of

a time out. It might be on a bus, it might be in the locker room, it might be on a plane, it might be at a walkthrough, it might be in the hotel after a talk talk or whatever. And it means so much more from a player like yourself that's still contributing at a high level. Like certain guys are a kind of hanging around in the NBA and you're like, yeah, if you're the fifteenth guy, can't you know so talk about that as somebody who's right next to these guys in the foxhole with them and

able to share your expertise in your leadership experience. For sure. I think it goes to for all you know, guys has been this league, even if you're a fifteen guys, have you've been in this league long enough for ten to fifteen years. Because there's guy's like a Jared Dudley whose voice really matters it all depends on your locker

room and the guys that respect you. So you got to earn their respect, and a lot of these guys, thankfully in this locker room and even throughout the league, still respect me as a not just a person that understands the game, but it was a player that can

contribute on the floor. So if you have that type respect from those guys, they'll listen, and you just hope that they'll they'll learn from you and hope that they'll grow in by the end of the year, they'll take everything they learn and that make themselves and our team better. So let's go back through your championship pedigree, and the most recent was last summer in August of twenty twenty in Orlando with the Los Angeles Lakers. They win their

seventeenth championship. You beat Miami in six games, to watch Lebron and Anthony David and for your team in Los Angeles to come together, climb them out in the most unusual of circumstances in the history of the NBA and win that title. What was it like? It was tough, and I'm not gonna lie, but it was all worth it. When it was all said and done, all the pain, all the struggle emotional, mental and physical that we went through. When you're able to raise that Layar Bryan Trophy makes

it all worth it. You get home and you know your body's aching and sore. But it was a rough roller coaster, and that's from league shutting down, restarting multiple times, people that are close to us, passing away that we've lost due to COVID and other you know things, the China incident where you know we went there. There's so much going on through that that whole season, the whole year, and then the bubble, which was mentally emotionally draining more

than anything and physically playing out of the day. It was not easy, so but being able to come out on top made it all worth it. But that year was one of the most unbelievably tough mentally, emotionally physical years that we all remember because it was the toughest one and I think for us so we won't forget it, but we'll always remember it as one of our toughest,

hardest years and the biggest achievements. It's funny because before the bubble, as we waited for play to resume, people like whatever sportscasters pontificators were saying, well, this season will have an asterix. Well, yeah, it had an asterisk because what you just described it was more more difficult really than any other. So in the year before you're with the Raptors and you're with Kawhi and Pascal Siakam and Kyle and Marcassol, and before beating both Milwaukee and the Warriors,

you had the game with the Sixers. Game seven walks through that It's it's Sunday in Toronto. It's both teams are tied at three, and Kawhi hits a corner jumper over Joel right by your bench, bounces four times and goes in. It was like a dagger to the Sixers, and for you guys, it helped to propel the Raptors to the eventual NBA Championship. That serious the most. It was probably the toughest series that we had. I mean not saying other teams weren't good, but going seven games

and almost going into overtimes. We went into overtime. You guys had the whole momentum um. You guys had Jimmy JJ obviously Toby's Joe I was rolling. Then I had a deep team and they were playing very well. We were up and then next you know, you guys started making a run coming back. Jimmy started, you know, doing what he does and then defensively said making some plays.

But luckily, he said, Kawhi came out knocked down a big shot and it kind of gave us new life because that whole series we struggled with fine rotations, finding guys that could play against the big guards you guys had, finding out how we want to attack them. So it was a chess game, and I think Brett Brown credited him. He did a great job of figuring out how he wanted to play or guard us or also attack us.

So it was tough to figure out. But you know, Kawhie hitting that shot gave us new life for obviously extending our season, but to kind of be refreshing and start over new series with guys having a different attitude and picking up their games like a Fred van Fleet who in his Phillyate series didn't really have much of

a chance to impact it. But the next serieson against Milwaukee came alive and damn never you got some final MVP votes because of how well he started playing after having his son so you know that that shot was a historic, legendary and it gave us new life, and it allowed us to actually get a chance to win a title. Gave us chance to win a title. Because that didn't happened, we might not been the last team standard.

I'm gonna delve off a little bit here because you mentioned Freddie van Fleet becoming a dad and just the whole exhilaration that comes with that, and then he was close to Rockford in that Milwaukee Series. And I go back a little bit too. I believe it was my first year in the NBA and Hakimlajuan, who's Muslim, was going through the fastone and all the things that come with Ramadan. So it was February that particular year, and you know how they passed the whole day until sunset.

You're thinking, man, this guy's got to be on full How could he? Well, he won Player of the Month, look it up. So I think it would have been like ninety six. And so John Lucas was our coach at the time, and I'm sure you know it, Luke, and we had this debate and it was I'm like, I know, but he was spiritually lifted, so that that incident that focused that singular focus that comes from his personal life and his religious pla. To me, it helped catapult him. And I'm speaking for ah team. But and

it sort of in a different way. Did the same thing? Can something like that off the court, because sometimes if you're not right off the court, it can go off the rails. Talk about that a little bit definitely. Man, think you see these these these great games come from these guys when they have these type of life experiences because it gives them their energy and extra boost and also it gives them a care free attitude where they

just go out and play and have fun. You know when people have children or God forbid, somebody passes as a tragic and they go out and play with more emotions and play with more you know, passion for the game when great things happen, and even when bad things happen, even though it sucks. Uh. But and they're playing for something or for someone, um for that night. Um, that's when their whole they leave everything out on the floor.

But a lot of those things can propel their energy in a good way, some in a bad way, or some more just a motivated angry way. UM to where they have an unbelievable night. But um, you know, for Freddie to have a kid and some other people have babies, like in a great way, it helps them to propel themselves and their energy even though they're up all night.

But to have that you know, care free, you know, have fun, bring basketball back to a passionate when they were youth, youthful days and not worrying about anything else. Um allows them to just you know, play their game and also play at a high level with a lot of confidence. So let's talk about San Antonio and winning the championship with the Spurs and at that time they were the gold standard in the NBA for a big

chunk of that year from twenty ten until now. And for you, you know, you had to spend time and at the time the NBA G League or the Development League, you went overseas as I mentioned in Slovenia. So to get into the finals and be a champion after having gone through some struggle to get to that level, what was that? That must have been a very rich experience for you with san Antonio. Oh definitely, man, it's my first one. You know, you dream of that stage as

a kid. You never think you'd be an NBA another one playing an NBA finals stage and win a championship. So going through all that and then we went to the finals previous that year and lost until will play and also being a starting, starting team, and then come back and playing the finals the second year and actually win. It was a very surreal moment, man. So the roller coaster ride, and I try not to think about it

reflect too much. Each each year. I try to do in the summertime because I don't want to be too satisfied. I don't want to get back to the grind and stay hungry. But every time I think about it, where I've come from to now and at that point said growing up as a kid, just imagining be on final station and win an NBA championship. That will do that and bring the trophy back home to my family, my hometown.

I was unbelievable, man. And it was like, it's a dream come true that I've always dreamed since I was, you know, five six year old kids. So that was when you say you went to the finals. The year before that was the year that Ray Allen. It looked like the Spurs were seconds away from winning the title, and yet Miami it's a huge shot from Ray Allen.

And then Miami wins the championship. Right lost twenty fourteen, We came back to win right for that team, And I always referenced this, you know, like you weren't going to get validation like the next month. It took eleven months later for that Spurs team to get in position, and they had that whole thing about pound the Rock.

I mean as an athlete, that is to me one of the greatest examples of sticking with it, putting in the time at good days, at up and put yourself in a position to change the course of what had happened the year before. That had to be a tremendous learning experience, oh for sure, man. And like I said, even now, preparing for that time time, so that whole

year was rough for us. We played a chip on our shoulder in every game that we played, every team that we played, every possession, we prepared as if we were playing in an NBA Finals against Miami Heat, because we knew if we got an opportunity to get back, there were probably gonna be that team to play, because they were the best team in the league in time. They were obviously defending champions So we played every game

and it was a rough years. Even with the coach staff of the team, the players, they were on us and we made sure that if we ever got the opportunity again, we would take full advantage of it. But when it finally was done, we're able to do so. It says nothing sweeter man. So as I ventured a couple of times in twenty eleven, you were in Europe, you were in Slovenia, walk us through that experience for sure.

I mean I was only there during the lockout for about four months, so I don't know if they want a championship, they might want a championship later on our team, I was there for half that season. We struggled early on. We started playing well later, but we had Dabby's birth times and that team Dion Thompson, another Carolina guy. You know, we had a couple other Americans with us side my guy, what side b Woody. We had a couple of guys

that could hoop on that team. But so we had some struggles up and down, as you know, the European life. But I was only there for about four months during lock I had to come back and make the team. But to see them, you know, progress and do well later on. Showed a lot of character from those guys and that organization. Obviously, Sylvania was a different time for me.

I would love to go back and visit somethino. We have the legends from there, obviously Luca, but Gouran and his brothers, Zoran and a couple other guys, the Sylvanian legends. But it was a great city. They treat me a lot of love and respect, and I would definitely always treat it as a place that you know, that helped raise me as a professional and a player. Speaking of raising in basketball, Carolina Basketball, you spend four years in

Chapel Hill. It ends with a championship. We all got a kick up, kick out of the promos the other day where you showed the young Danny Green with the hops in this brow down. Everybody was talking about that just a few days ago. Was that like playing for North Carolina? It was amazing, man said, That's where I became a man. So I grew up. I learned a lot about not just the game, out about life. Coach Williams taught us to do things the right way on

and off the court. Was It's where a teenager young teenage, Danny became a grown man. Learned how to pay bills, dues, on laundry, go to class, take care of his business beyond time, and do the little things. I learn how to save money financially, do you know things the right way? Uh? You know? And sat on the court, learn how to play the game, understand to study the game and become

somewhat a decent player. So and work hard. But being in that that Chapel Hill bubble areas, it's college town, there's a lot of love, nothing but but sports and basketball and Carolina sports. So and obviously the rivalries between Dude which is up the road and Durham and in Raleigh and See State some of these schools that we played against. But yeah, being in that Chapel Hill bubble there's nothing like him is amazing experience. And I wan't

change it for the world. And I love going back whenever I get a chance to and try to show as much love as I can and return the favor as much as much as I can what they've done for me. One of my time there, we spent a lot of time there when Larry Brown was our coach. We had training camp there so many times in the team done. I made sure to go over to Carmichael, as you say, just a special place and talk about the college experience, because you did delve into that a

little bit. But there's so many young players in the NBA that they spent one year in college, which is not really a wholly rounded obviously college experience, but to be a student athlete and be amongst your peers, and as you say, you gained so much from that that you probably wouldn't have if you would have punched your ticket right into the NBA. Yeah. I mean, I couldn't imagine if I went to the NBA at nineteen twenty years old, I have no idea what I would make.

So many mistakes media wise, financially, on off the court, even on the court, I want to know much of the game. I'd be so raw. But the fact I was able to grow up and become an adult and learn those things throughout college it gave me an advantage. It made me more of a polished player, but also a polished persons about handle myself when I got NBA money or when I came into NBA, and how to

be a professional. So yeah, man, I took my hat off to those guys that went straight from high school and those guys only did one or two years and be able to adapt an adjust to it so quickly. And obviously younger kids now way ahead of the game now being political figures, not just sports figures. They have to be political fears, understand and learn about the communities, everything else and get back. I couldn't do that at

nineteen twenty. A lot of these guys are doing it between nineteen and twenty three years old, which said I didn't learn a lot of this, so I got, you know, past twenty six, twenty seven, and then way ahead of the game now. But I was fortunate enough to have, you know, a good foundation of my family and friends in my college peers, and to go to school for four years to learn so much and to be ahead

of the game. So we delve into your media savvyness, if that's a phrase, and inside the green room with your friend Harrison Stanford and you guys have a podcast

and it's starting to get legs and take off. So let's reverse roles a little bit, like what's it like hosting a podcast and taking that taking that angle, if you will, it's fun man more fun than I expected to be, and it actually blew up more than I expected to be when Harrison pitched him Harrison's idea, UM, I wasn't so enthused about it or so confident about

especially being in San Antonio. They didn't really care to do media or you know, care for guys to do off court branding stuff for themselves or talk to the media, and it wasn't a big thing for us, even though I didn't. I didn't want it to be immedia thing. I wanted guys to be able to, um, I guess, come on the show and be themselves and be care free and if we want to cut edit something that

they don't like, and we'll cut and edit out. But it's really just I was to be able to catch up, learn about a lot of my teammates, a lot of people around me in the cities that I played in the community. Also to bring light to certain businesses, certain sponsors, um, you know, certain people, and said, have a lot of fun, to be free with it and talk sports and talk what's going on in the world. And it's been a lot of fun so far. I've had still going and

a lot of fun as well. Obviously still have to be professional because I'm still in a certain lane. I can't be doing the same stuff that other guys, retired guys are doing and having fun with it. But I have a great time kicking and catch up with guys I'm obviously there's still some guests I would love to have on the show an interview. I'm sure there's some

guests that people want to hear from. But I have an amazing time learning about my teammates, um wherever I'm at one from LA to Philly now to in to Toronto. U learn so much about them on my podcasts. And I would you know ever think of you know, just talking because you don't ask a certain questions when you're you know, just in a locker room all the time. Exactly. That's a pretty good plug right there. But how do people get the podcast? Is it Spotify? Or where you

get your podcasts? How would you everywhere? You know where? I mean, I think we're Greenham inside on Twitter, inside green room on Instagram, Um, it's on you know anything anywhere you go Spotify, I think, uh iTunes, you can you can pre much searching anywhere inside the green Room, uh with my co host Harrison, Sanford, myself, Danny Green, so you can find it anywhere. I'm gonna close with this because I thought that was a really good point

that you just made. There are situations like as teammates or even as as media members, and I so appreciate your candidness to do this with us and the interview. But like you say, you know, a lot of these interviews are jazz boyle, that was a tough fourth quarter

and how you're gonna be Phoenix and whatnot. To be able to sit down and have a conversation, it's rare anymore, and to be able to do that, and even like you say, with teammates, you learn a little bit about maybe how somebody grew up or what helped shape them. It's a great way to know people more than just as athletes or just in a given game situation or

pregame chat. Wouldn't you agree? I definitely agree, man. That's how I learned more most about my teammates in their backgrounds, their families, where they grew up, in their children, their passions. A lot of guys what they're thinking about doing after they're done playing or while they're doing playing with businesses, they're invested in. You know so many things, man, and a lot of those things you don't get into detail, get into that depth of conversation when you're on a

plane playing cards or on a bench. You know. Most of the stuff you talk about during as basketball you to guard about how this guy is doing this in sports. So to dive into their family life on a podcast is amazing and interesting and I learned a lot someone. It makes me also closer and bond with them better as brothers. Well, Danny, as I said, I can't thank you enough. We'll do it again sometime and when we're back, if you will. And I'm in the red zone or ever we want to say that, and I'm in the

yellow zone at the arena. But thank you so much, best of luck, and we'll talk to you down the road. Thank you so much. All right, thank you, Danny. If you like what you're hearing, consider subscribing to the seventy six ers podcast network feed or giving us a follow wherever you get your pods, and if that happens to be on Apple Podcast, we'd love for you to give us a rating. I'm Tom mcguinnis. Talk to you down the road.