Houston’s own Gerald Green can add another accolade to his list of accomplishments in his professional basketball career as he clinched the BIG3 championship. On Sunday, August 18, Bivouac, led by the Green brothers, Gerald and Garlon, secured a thrilling 50-47 victory over Michael Beasley’s 3’s Company, cementing their place as the BIG 3 champions. They played the championship game in an arena that Gerald is familiar with, the TD Garden. In 2005, the Celtics drafted Gerald as a 19-year-old out of Gulf Shores Academy High School in Houston with their 18th overall pick. While he never got a chance to raise a banner for the Celtics in their home arena, he did with his BIG3 team and felt just as proud.
“This is where it all started,” an emotional Gerald Green told SB Nation postgame. “This is the team that gave me a chance — in this building. I’m scoring my first NBA bucket in this building.”
Not only did Gerald win the championship in the TD Garden, but he was also named finals MVP. He finished with 18 points on six made threes. Bivouac, coached by Hall-of-Famer and NBA Champion Gary Payton finished the year with a 9-1 record. At the start of the game, they were in total control as they went into halftime with a 13-point lead. However, the scoring prowess of the league’s MVP Michael Beasley began to show up.
Beasley, who finished with a game-high 28 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists, rallied his team within striking distance but it wasn’t enough to secure the victory.
What made this game a family affair is that his little brother, Garlon, hit the game-winning shot to secure the victory for Bivouac. Former Houston Rockets player Corey Brewer was able to steam the pass from veteran point guard Mario Chalmers and passed the ball to Garlon, who hit a game-winning floater off the backboard for the win.
“My brother was drafted here, and it’s special to me,” Garlon Green said. “A small back story with me — I was on about five years ago. Had a little bit of shame — my brother was killing it, and I felt a little bit like I let my brother down. To be able to come back here, where he was drafted, where he played most of his career, and help him win a championship, it gives me chills.”
Garlon finished his season as the BIG3 player with the most rebounds, third-most assists, and 8th-most points.
Coach Payton, who won his first BIG3 title in his fifth playoff appearance and second title game, praised Gerald for his leadership. Gerald who played a significant role in the NBA, had no problems coming off the bench and being the spark his team needed.
“Gerald, who was our captain, came to me and said, ‘coach, I want to come off the bench. I want to be that inspirational guy.’ To do what he did — that’s leadership,” said Payton.
Gerald had two stints with the Celtics, during his rookie campaign and in the later part of his career in the 2016-17 season, the same year Jaylen Brown was drafted. The Celtics lost to the Cavaliers in the Conference Finals that year, but the 6’7″ guard played a significant role in the rotation during that playoff run. He averaged 7.5 points in 15 minutes a night.
Green said he often comes to Boston to visit his kids and the fans still appreciate his presence in his returns.
“The Bostonians are always showing me love out here. I’m always showing love back.”
As stated earlier, Gerald never captured an NBA championship, but he celebrated a BIG3 title in front of thousands of fans in the Celtics arena, where he played his rookie season, and it no longer mattered.
“A championship is a championship,” Green said. “Can’t take it away from me.”
After the game, Gerald took a moment to reflect on the challenges he had faced to reach this point. He shared about the time he lost a part of his right hand finger while attempting a dunk in sixth grade. Despite the setback and playing with nine full fingers, he never lost sight of his determination to play at the highest level.
“I have nine fingers, and I always thought ‘I’ll be an NBA player’,” he said. “I always had confidence. People used to laugh at me and be like, ‘No way.’ I always knew that I could do it.”
He continued, “I was a kid coming from the hood. Don’t know anything, had no support when I was growing up, but I was always confident in myself.”
Green had a career spanning 12 seasons in the NBA, playing for various teams, including the Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. He also played professionally overseas in Russia and China.
His career averages consist of 9.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, with a field goal percentage of 41.7 percent and a three-point shooting percentage of 36.7 percent, including making 962 three-pointers in 658 regular season games. Additionally, Green has participated in 68 NBA playoff games, with seven starts. Green also won the 2007 NBA Slam Dunk contest, beating Nate Robinson, Tyrus Thomas and Dwight Howard.
Green most recent achievement was securing the 2022 G-League Championship with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, showcasing his abilities with an average of 18 points and 5.1 rebounds. Before this achievement, he worked as a player development coach with the Rockets during the 2021-22 season.
This isn’t Green’s first season playing in the BIG3. He made his league debut in the summer of 2022 and quickly established himself as one of the top players. He received the mid-season Rookie of the Year award and averaged an impressive 23.3 points per game, ranking 3rd in the league at the time. Green demonstrated exceptional shooting skills by maintaining an impressive field goal percentage of 47.3 and a remarkable three-point shooting percentage of 45.2, leading the BIG3 with 14 successful three-pointers. Additionally, he secured an average of 7.5 rebounds per game, placing him 8th in the league.
