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MANILA, Philippines – Last week, Gerald Green was unemployed. Today, he is the Houston Rockets’ leading scorer.
With leading MVP candidate James Harden out of commission for two weeks, the Rockets’ newest member Gerald Green exploded for 27 points on 7 three-pointers off the bench in Houston’s 116-98 walloping of the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, January 3 (Thursday Manila time).
Since being signed to a non-guaranteed deal last December 28, the 31-year old former Slam Dunk Champion wasted no time to prove that he deserves to be signed at least for the rest of the season. While his current averages don’t tell much – 9.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and two threes per game – Green already recorded an 18-point game in just his second appearance before this 27-point, 7-trey eruption two games later.
Born and raised in Houston, Green was naturally happy to have been snagged up by his hometown team. To demonstrate just how happy he was, he had his hair braided into the Rockets’ signature “R” and showed it off on Instagram:
This is actually Green’s second stint donning the colors of “Clutch City.” A decade ago in 2008, the Minnesota Timberwolves shipped him to Houston in exchange for Kirk Snyder, a 2010 2nd-round pick and cash considerations. However, he was subsequently waived a week later after only playing one game.
Since then, the fan favorite highflyer has bounced – literally and figuratively – from team to team, locally and internationally. He settled a bit with the Phoenix Suns for two seasons (2013-2015), where he became a focal point of their offense and averaged the best numbers of his career so far – 15.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 steals on 45% shooting in just 28.4 minutes per game.
He last played for the Boston Celtics under prodigy coach Brad Stevens, who recently had high praise for his former player. “Gerald’s a really accomplished guy,” he said before the Rockets faced the Celtics last December 28. “I think it makes a lot of sense for Houston. He fits perfectly for how they play. I wish they would have waited until tomorrow to sign him.”
Despite Stevens’ worries, his team won that game anyway, albeit controversially.
Even before returning to the Rockets, Green already made his biggest contribution for Houston last August, when Hurricane Harvey caused widespread damage and flooding to the city. In an Instagram video which has since been deleted, Green sought out owners of boats which he could carry on his truck in order to assist people who were still stranded. New England Sports Network (NESN) still has the video on their YouTube channel:
The Rockets will have until Monday, Manila time, to decide whether or not they keep him employed. – Rappler.com
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