Sixers’ Danny Green Looks Forward to Facing Spurs in San Antonio Once Again

Danny Green technically didn’t get his career started in San Antonio, but it sure seems like he did. When coming out of the University of North Carolina, the second-round, 46th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft landed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After playing in just 20 games with the Cavaliers during his debut season, averaging under six minutes per game, Green didn’t necessarily make a home for himself in Cleveland. The following season, he created a home with the San Antonio Spurs as he would spend the next eight seasons there, carving out a solid career as a reliable 3-and-D guy.

Like all things, though, Green’s time with the Spurs came to an end ahead of the 2018-2019 season. As the Toronto Raptors and the Spurs participated in the blockbuster deal that landed the Raptors Kawhi Leonard, Green was a part of the trade and moved up North for a season. 

Then, after spending last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Green eventually found himself on the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, he’ll once again pay a visit to his old home as a member of the Sixers for the first time on Sunday night.

“It’s home [in San Antonio],” Green said on Friday. “It’s always interesting. I’ve been back before my first time in Toronto. There were fans, and it was weird. A lot of emotions going on at the time. We lost — we got our a** kicked, by the way. Hopefully, we can change that narrative, get a win, and hopefully, I can play better.”

The Sixers and the Spurs met once this season, already back in March. As the shorthanded Spurs visited the 76ers, the Joel Embiid-less Sixers issued San Antonio a 134-99 loss. Danny Green, who checked in for 22 minutes, collected 16 points off nine shots.

Although Green’s last visit to San Antonio resulted in a lousy personal performance, the veteran forward still looks forward to playing at his old stomping grounds once again, no matter what the results turn out to be on Sunday night.

“It’s always a home for me,” Green continued. “It’s always home for George (Hill). It’s always a place that I love. The fans, they showed a lot of love and support to me, but it’s another challenge. A day for us to get better and hopefully continue to win games and for me to find a rhythm, our team find a rhythm, individually and as a group, going into the playoffs.”

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.