'Gold Vibes': Josh Green Has Olympic Mindset With Mavs
Josh Green traveled back from the Olympics in Tokyo with a couple new possessions. The 20-year-old and the Australian national team took home a bronze medal, beating Slovenia and Dallas Mavericks teammate Luka Doncic. Secondly, Green is wearing a pair of golden-colored pair of Crocs that have "GVO" on them.
“Gold Vibes Only (GVO),” Green showed media members on a video call. “Everybody’s mindset was to go for gold. That’s why I wear the Crocs ... It’s something I’m going to continue. Me being a competitor, everything I do on the court is to be able to win the game.”
Green believes the Olympic experience will help him in his second season with the Mavericks. His potential to be a bigger contributor is also by new coach Jason Kidd.
"We feel that, with a little hard work and some fun, we can get a Josh Green to the next level; that’s why we’re here," Kidd said this summer. "We’re here to help develop. It’ll be fun but, everybody has to do their part and it starts with hard work."
In his rookie season, Green played sparingly with the Mavericks, averaging just 2.6 points and two rebounds in 39 games. He had a stint in the NBA G League with the Salt Lake City Stars, in which he averaged 13.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in six games.
The team's first-round selection in the 2020 NBA Draft received extended run in the team's 127-113 win over the Miami Heat and thrived... a season highlight. His talent flashed throughout the season, showing his potential as a passer and defender, earning praise from teammates for his professionalism.
The Mavs ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the NBA playoffs and have made major moves this offseason, to name a few - locking up Doncic, hiring coach Jason Kidd and GM Nico Harrison. The new faces are hoping to help get Dallas back into title contention (Mavs are +2700 to win it all, odds by FanDuel).
So if Green's development is so important to the team, why isn't he playing in NBA Summer League? Green is struggling with a bad case of jet lag and getting back onto American time. However, Green said he's in the best shape of his life and also developed off the court in Tokyo. The Mavs are hoping for more minutes from Green this season as the team
“I think just being around the whole environment of the Australian team in general is awesome," Green said. "It helped my basketball and helped me off the court. At the Olympics, it’s just cool to be around all the best athletes in the world and being able to experience that at the age of 20.”
