Jalen Green locks in for 2nd year, thanks Filipino fans for consistent support

MANILA, Philippines – Fil-Am rising star Jalen Green is back in the Philippines for a short stay to reconnect with his roots and mingle with his growing Filipino fan base.

While the 20-year-old sensation may just be enjoying the NBA off-season right now, make no mistake, he is already looking forward to making more noise once his sophomore year rolls along with the Houston Rockets.

“My mindset is just to go in and be the best version of myself on and off the court. Try to build a winning mentality,” he said an interview with adidas Philippines in Makati City on Wednesday, August 11.

“The thing with my team, we’re very young, we’re in a rebuild right now – trying to get everyone on the same page and grow in the right direction. I think it’s just trying to keep the same mindset of trying to win.”

Last season, the Rockets gave Green free rein to hone his skills on the court, and the 6-foot-4 guard showed tremendous promise alongside fellow back court star Kevin Porter Jr. However, Houston clearly went through growing pains as it plummeted to a league-worst 20-62 record.

Still, Green is grateful that his Pinoy fans stuck with him through thick and thin, and consistently showed him love wherever they could.

“Coming to the Philippines, everyone gives so much love and support. To come back and give my love and support, it means so much to me,” he said.

“Even when I’m in Houston, I see Twitter and Instagram, with my fans DMing me, telling me how they’re here supporting me, rocking my jersey, rocking my swag. I feel the love.”

Entering the 2022-2023 season, Green is expected to take on a bigger leadership role on and off the court, and the former National Basketball Training Centre (NBTC) standout for Fil-Am Sports is taking the challenge to fast-track his improvement head on.

“The specific parts that I wanna work on is making reads, making decisions faster, and learning how to win. We had a rough season last year, we’re in a rebuild situation, so just learning how to win,” he said.

“Another adjustment, probably just getting the next game, next shot mentality. Games come so fast, you gotta forget about the game you had before, the loss you had before. You had to move on.”

Now with 2022 No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith joining the fray, Green, Porter, and the rest of the young Rockets’ core are set to once again wow crowds with their undeniable talent and athleticism.

Green is coming off a stellar rookie season where he averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. – Rappler.com