Newly-acquired Cleveland Cavaliers forward Jeff Green may be best-remembered for his vicious slams and impressive all-around game during his heyday in Oklahoma City and Boston, but he recently shared an experience he had to go through more than five years ago that almost ended his basketball career.
The 30-year-old Georgetown product wrote a piece for The Players’ Tribune, with the title The Scar, where he narrated the heart surgery he had to undergo in 2011. His ruptured aorta was thought of as a fatal condition, but he miraculously survived it with the help of a top valve surgeon.
To remind him of the successful battle he had against the heart condition, Jordan Brand gave Green a custom pair of the Air Jordan 31s, which has dates and logos from his experience. He showed it off in a video, where he also discussed the details on the shoes.
After the operation, Green made a successful return to the NBA in 2012, and even had one of his best seasons as a pro in 2014-15 for the Celtics, where he appeared in all 82 games, averaging 16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 34.2 minutes per game.
Now with the Cavs, he will look to play a bigger role than what he had last year with the Orlando Magic. His ability to play both forward positions will be a huge boost to his new team, and will give them more depth in their frontcourt. More importantly, it’s his opportunity to show everyone that he still has a lot of game left in him, and that he can be a solid contributor to the Wine and Gold every single night.
