Javonte Green's road to recovery from knee surgery back in January has been long and difficult, but it pales in comparison to the one he's had to make it to the NBA. After going undrafted out of Radford, he went to different parts of the world to prove himself as a professional basketball player worthy of an NBA shot.
"When I didn't get drafted, I knew my journey was going to be different than everybody else's. And I kind of liked that; no second thoughts. I always knew I was going to have other options in basketball. I knew they had the G-league, overseas. I knew I didn't pick the wrong sport. By that time, I had the love of basketball, and that was the only thing on my mind," said Green.
Long road to the NBA
That journey took four years across countries like Spain, Italy, and Germany, where he racked up individual awards and championships. Between those, he continued pursuing his NBA dream and latched on with the Phoenix Suns in the Summer League. However, he barely got a chance to showcase what he could do with the presence of the Suns' draft picks, shared Green.
"Phoenix had four or five guys they drafted, (Deandre) Ayton, (Mikal) Bridges, a French guy (Elie Okobo), Davon Reed (and Dragan Bender and Josh Jackson)," Javonte said. "I knew the NBA by that time was a bunch of politics and I had to figure that out and my way around it."
Despite the setback, Green knew he was already at the doorstep of the NBA, and his efforts finally bore fruit when he signed with the Boston Celtics for the Summer League and training camp in 2019.
Found a home with the Bulls
After playing 73 games in two seasons with the Celtics and showing glimpses of his incredible motor and athleticism, Green was traded to the Bulls where he has since flourished and became a favorite, not just amongst the fans, but even more with the coaching staff and his teammates.
"Great team guy," said Bulls coach Billy Donovan. "Will do whatever is asked. He gives you great effort, is always ready starting or coming in off the bench. You can definitely feel his presence, his energy, his athleticism when he's on the floor. He only has one gear. He just plays all out."
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