Getty LeBron James, Danny Green and Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Over the years, Danny Green has earned a reputation as one of the better shooters in the NBA. However, as LeBron James has pointed out, Los Angeles Lakers fans don’t care about what you’ve done in the past, they care about what you do in the present. Unfortunately for Green, he didn’t have his best postseason. His worst moment came when he missed a wide-open 3-pointer to win Game 5 of the NBA Finals and wrap up the series.
What followed was a slew of hate and Green began to receive death threats from fans. There were also people who started a petition that would keep Green from getting a championship ring if the Lakers won. Now that the shot is behind him, the veteran talked about whether or not he owes fans an apology and he gave a blunt answer.
“You know human nature of fans, they’re just very emotional,” Green said on The Ringer NBA Show. “They take the game very serious and they see us as performers and if we’re not performing the way we’re supposed to then we’re supposed to apologize for it. No, I don’t owe you an apology. Whether I played sh***y or not. You’re not my boss, coach, and I’m not gonna apologize for missing shots. I’ll apologize to my teammates for missed mistakes, missed assignments, if I mess up a play or defensively don’t make a rotation. But no, I don’t owe you anything.”
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No, Green Doesn’t Owe Anybody an Apology
Fans have every right to be irritated with the fact that Green didn’t play very well offensively in the playoffs but that doesn’t mean he needs to apologize to him. In Game 5, the team made the right basketball play and Green just missed. There are plenty of players who could’ve missed that shot.
Obviously, missing that shot in the NBA Finals while coming off a few bad games is bound to get the fans angry. In a perfect world, Green wouldn’t have been the one to take that shot. The Miami Heat played some strong defense on LeBron and Anthony Davis was banged up. It was probably the best look the Lakers were going to get and Green just couldn’t deliver.
Will Green Be a Laker Next Season?
Despite his playoff struggles, Green was an important starter for the Lakers all season. He’s still a really good defensive player and he should get his shot back at some point. That said, it’s possible Los Angeles uses him as trade bait this offseason. There are likely a few teams who could use a player like Green.
One bad playoff run doesn’t erase the fact that he’s been a good shooter for a decade. He also brings a lot of value on the defensive end. The Lakers probably wouldn’t be upset to keep him but they also aren’t likely to hesitate to trade him in the right deal. Green could be part of a package that helps bring the Lakers a third star.
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