Jeff Green

Green beat Vanderbilt with a game-winning shot after a controversial no-call in the game's closing seconds as well as fearlessly leading the Hoyas to victory against No. 1 seed UNC in a stunning second-half comeback victory and bringing the Hoyas back to their first Final Four since Patrick Ewing led them to the 1985 National Championship game.

The Hoyas eventually lost to Greg Oden and the Ohio State Buckeyes, bringing their remarkable title run to a close as well as Green's collegiate playing career, as he chose to forgo his senior year and entered the NBA draft.

Jeffrey Lynn Green (born August 28, 1986), nicknamed Uncle Jeff, is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

As of 2023, he has played for 11 NBA teams in 15 seasons.

A forward, Green played three seasons of college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas.

Green was recruited to Georgetown University by coach Craig Esherick in 2003.

Esherick was fired before Green arrived on campus and John Thompson III was hired as the new coach.

The two top recruits of Esherick's tenure, Green and center Roy Hibbert, were the key components of Thompson's future success.

Thompson stated in a Sports Illustrated interview: "You'll stop and think when I say this, but it's true: Jeff Green is the smartest player I've ever coached. You would know this better than most: that's a hell of a statement."

He was raised in College Park, Maryland and then attended Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he led the NHS Wildcats to the state basketball championship in 2004.

Green won the 2005 Big East Rookie of the Year award along with Rudy Gay of the University of Connecticut.

He was named to the All-Big East Second Team in 2006 along with teammate Roy Hibbert.

After entering the 2007 NBA draft, he was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Boston Celtics.

In 2007, Green was named the Big East Player of the Year.

He and Hibbert were unanimous selections to the All-Big East First Team.

After his 30-point performance in the 2007 Big East tournament semifinal against Notre Dame and his 21-point performance in the championship against Pittsburgh, Green was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, as the Hoyas won their first Big East title since 1989.

He led the Hoyas to the Final Four of the 2007 NCAA tournament, beating Belmont and Boston College in the first two rounds.

On June 28, 2007, Green was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics.

He was later traded to the Seattle SuperSonics alongside Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West in exchange for Ray Allen and Glen Davis.

In 2008, following his rookie season, Green was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

On April 6, 2008, Green scored a career-high 35 points against the Denver Nuggets.

Green made the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2008 after averaging 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 80 games.

The Sonics were sold and moved to Oklahoma City before the start of the 2008–09 season, becoming the Thunder.

In January 2009, Green hit his first career game-winner, lifting the Thunder to a 122–121 win over the Golden State Warriors.

In the 2009–10 season, Green played and started in all 82 games.

On December 1, 2010, Green set a new career-high with 37 points against the New Jersey Nets.

On February 24, 2011, Green was traded, along with Nenad Krstić and a 2012 first-round pick, to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.

Green recorded a double-double in his first start as a Celtic against the Washington Wizards on April 11, 2011, recording 20 points, a career-high-tying 15 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Green improved his field goal percentage after the trade to the Celtics, shooting 48.5 percent from the floor in 26 games after shooting 43.7 percent with the Thunder.

On December 10, 2011, following the conclusion of the NBA lockout, Green re-signed with the Celtics.

Eight days later, his contract was voided by the Celtics after a routine physical examination detected an aortic aneurysm.

Green underwent successful open-heart surgery in 2012 and continued his playing career.

In 2023, as a member of the Denver Nuggets, Green won his first NBA championship.

Green was born in Cheverly, Maryland, to Jeffrey Green Sr. and Felicia Akinkugbe.

Green spent the next four summers taking classes at Georgetown and graduated in 2012 with a degree in English and a minor in theology.

He subsequently underwent heart surgery in January 2012 and missed the entire 2011–12 season.

Former teammate Kevin Durant dedicated his season to Green.

Green used his downtime not only to rehab from surgery but to complete his coursework at Georgetown, graduating in May 2012 with a degree in English and a minor in theology.

On August 22, 2012, Green signed with the Celtics.

On March 18, 2013, Green scored a career-high 43 points in a 105–103 loss to the Miami Heat.