Former Jazz Veteran Discusses Implications of Upcoming NBA Finals
Despite not reaching the NBA Finals this season, the Utah Jazz will instead have a former player showing up for them with Denver Nuggets’ forward, Jeff Green. It’ll be the second-ever NBA Finals of his career after his previous sweep against the Golden State Warriors in 2018.
It looks to be a massive moment for Green, considering his 37th birthday approaching in August, these are likely the last few years of his career. Winning a ring before riding into the sunset would be the cherry on top for his playing days.
Green spent the 2019-20 season with Utah, putting up averages of 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Howevever, he ended up only playing in 30 games with the team, inevitably traded to the Houston Rockets later in the season.
In his latest press conference before Game 1, Jeff Green spoke on what it means for him to be able to reach this stage for the second time in his long career:
16 years in my career, you know. I’m happy. I’m excited. This is a blessing. It shows the hard work, whether people want to look at it or not...Giving something on a great team in the finals, I think it’s amazing. So, I’m proud of myself on how I got to this point and accomplished some of the things I wanted to do."
Green also spoke on what the implications would be for him to finally accomplish this illustrious feat, along with what it would mean for the city of Denver:
“It’s everything, this is what I play for. For me, I always play for team-first, and the ultimate goal was to always win a championship...With everything I’ve been through in my career, to win a championship is everything. And for the city of Denver, same thing. I’m pretty sure they’re excited for this...We go out there, we play for the city of Denver, and we’re gonna give them everything we have in order to bring that championship home. So, we’re looking forward to the opportunity."
Jeff Green and the rest of the Nuggets will face off against the Miami Heat, with Game 1 commencing on June 1st. We’ll see if the dominance of Nikola Jokic is able to sustain in order to notch himself, Green, and the city of Denver their first-ever NBA championships.
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