Q&A with former UNC basketball player Danny Green

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named the academic advisor Danny Green was referring to. The man's name is Wayne Walden. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.

Danny Green, former North Carolina basketball player and member of the 2009 NCAA championship team, and the San Antonio Spurs were crowned NBA champions June 15 — making Green, Michael Jordan and James Worthy the only Tar Heels to win both NCAA and NBA championships.

Staff writer Joey DeVito spoke over the phone with Green about winning championships at both levels, his NBA journey, Rashad McCants' comments and what's ahead for him and the team. 

THE DAILY TAR HEEL: How does it feel to be an NBA Champion?

DANNY GREEN: It still really hasn’t hit me yet, but it’s a big-time relief to end the season the way we did this year than last year, I’ll tell you that. You know, things have been really hectic, busy, everybody is trying to contact you to get some things done, appearances and interviews, but it’s a good hectic, and it’s been a lot of fun. For the most part, I’m just enjoying it right now, trying to relax.

DTH: Yourself, Michael Jordan and James Worthy are the only players to win a championship at UNC and in the NBA. How does it feel to be in the same category as those two guys?

DG: It’s kind of hard to believe, you know? To be mentioned with those names is a real honor. Obviously it’s not as big of an achievement of doing other things you know — all-stars or points or MVP’s or this or that — but these are accolades. In the winning category, to be in the same sentence or category with those names like I said is an honor, and it’s really hard to believe, but that lets you know how rare it is. I’m glad that this year we took advantage of our opportunity and got ourselves a chance to come out on top

DTH: What were some of the biggest differences between playing for a championship in college and playing for one in the pros?

DG: I think this was a little harder, well actually a lot harder. The season’s a lot longer. It’s one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. Last year was the longest season I've ever been through, and this year was even longer as well. We had some injuries up and down, which kind of made it seem like it went by a little faster, but to go all the way through June last year to have that bad luck, devastating loss and to have two months of really that hanging over your head — having that game brought up every time you talk about basketball or every time somebody sees you they bring up Game 6 — it's pretty emotionally draining. And you know, we came back next year, quick turnaround, and guys I feel like were both emotionally and physically drained, all around physically kind of depressed and emotionally depressed. To do it again for a whole another season, it’s one of the hardest things that I’ve ever done in my career. I don’t know what other way to put it, nothing but complete and utter satisfaction to get the job done and finish out on top.

DTH: Was winning the finals this year a different feeling than winning the NCAA championship, and how so?

DG: Well, the NCAA championship is a one-game elimination, and a college season is only 30-something games. You have to win, what, eight to win it all or six games to win the tournament. You have to win 16 games in the playoffs against very good teams that are hard to beat four times in a series, so, you know, scouting reports, a longer season, it’s tough. It’s a lot harder.

In the NCAA, any team can get hot, be healthy, get lucky playing at the right time and win, and that’s also hard, too. More luck has to do with the NCAA with one being healthy and playing well. In this one, there’s a little bit of that, but it’s more so the more prepared team, the more executed, focused and intense team.

DTH: You seem to save some of your biggest games for the biggest moments, what has allowed you to succeed under that kind of pressure?

DG: I think it’s just easy for myself and some other individuals to focus on one thing, and in the playoffs, you have time to really relax, focus on our bodies and focus on our assignments at hand and try to maximize the best of our ability. I know what my roles are. I know what my openings and schemes, and offensive and defensively what I'm supposed to do against this team or that team, and I'm going to do the best I can each game just to get better at it and execute it a lot better, be a smarter player. We have a team full of high-IQ guys, and that’s how we thrive. We play better when we’re able to focus on one thing, one particular area at that time being. That’s a big key for us, given the stuff that happened these past couple years.

DTH: In just a few years, you went from being in the NBA Development League to starting on a championship team. What did you have to do to end up where you are now?

DG: A lot of preparation, a lot of hard work and consistent daily grind. Non-stop, you know? A lot of hours in the gym and also a good amount of luck on my side. How do you crack a starting lineup on a team like the Spurs that have been playing great for 17 years? I worked hard, and luckily some things opened up to where I got the opportunity, and I took advantage of my opportunity. I showed them that I could do a little bit, and they started to trust me a little more, little by little, and it started to go my way a little bit. Like I said, it took a lot of luck but also a lot of hours in the gym. It’s all about timing with everything. Anybody will tell you in this league and with all leagues, it’s all about timing. Sometimes you need luck on your side, and lucky for me, I had a little bit of it. You need luck to be part of this organization.

DTH: On your website it says that you turned down a “significant, guaranteed increase in salary” to continue to try to play in the NBA. What was that decision like and why did you turn down the money?

DG: It was a tough decision, I'm not going to lie. To play overseas and make money, knowing that the lockout was coming up, but I thought I made the right decision. It was a decision based off of the confidence in myself and my support system. They felt like I belonged there. I watched my teammates play there, and I played with the best of them and against the best of them. I thought I competed pretty well, even my rookie year in Cleveland. LeBron (James), Mo (Williams), Anthony Parker and Delonte West, we had a lot of guys on the team that were really good, I thought. I competed with them every day, so I felt I belonged, and my supporting cast felt like I belonged. They were like, 'You know what? You should try to get back into the league, and overseas will always be there, you can do that later. The D-League will always be there. Both options will be there, but if you really believe in yourself, then take the chance.’ I believed that I belonged. I believed that I could find a place and try to stick somewhere, so that was my mindset. I was like, ‘You know I’ll try this another time overseas.’ So I was going to try to go to the D-League and try to get my way back in. I had full confidence in myself that if I did it, found the right place, the right spot, that I could get myself back in that situation, and that’s what I did.

DTH:  Was there ever a point playing that you felt like your NBA career was over?

DG: I wouldn’t say over, but it definitely started to diminish as the months went on. There were two months when I was at home where I wasn’t playing anywhere, and it was my first time having Thanksgiving and spending Christmas with my family since I left for college. So I guess it started to diminish then, and I was just happy to be playing in the D-League when I got there. I was there for two months, and towards the end of it, it started to diminish even more. I kept confident, I kept pushing and I kept working, and luckily I got a call. From then on out, things started going uphill. Sometimes it goes that way. I figured eventually, if I keep working, something good was going to turn out.

DTH: How were you able to stay positive during those months of just kind of sitting there waiting and practicing?

DG: Oh, it was hard man. It was really hard. A lot of times I wasn’t positive, I'm not going to lie to you, but I just kept working. It’s a habit, one that was instilled in me through high school and in college. I had some great coaches. I’ve been blessed to play for some great guys. I played around some great people, so it’s what I was used to doing, and I just kept doing that every day and things started working out for me.

DTH: Obviously Rashad McCants was big news around Chapel Hill and the country. What was your reaction when you heard what he said?

DG: I was pretty shocked. I heard about it. People were saying stuff about it, but I really didn’t believe that. I had to see it for myself, and when I saw it, I was kind of shocked. I just was confused. I don’t know. He played for two different coaches, and he went to school at a different time than me, so I don’t know his experiences there. A lot of those guys before me were AFAM majors. 

In my time, we had a guy, Wayne Walden, he was on us like a hawk. He had us working day in and day out in study hall. So my experience there was a lot different. Even if that was his experience, I just didn’t see the perspective or, I guess, the direction he was going. What was the purpose of trying and, you know, speaking out or saying something? Like, what was he trying to accomplish? 

I don’t get it, bashing a university that you grew up loving and you grew up in. People have taken care of you since you’ve been there and since you’ve been a kid. I just didn’t see the point of it. I didn’t see the direction of it or what you’re trying to accomplish in doing it, so I’m very shocked and confused.

DTH: When you hear the song "Jump Around," do you still get the urge to dance like you did in Chapel Hill?

DG: Of course, man. I hear it all the time, and it reminds me, but it’s a song I hear all the time. I don’t dance as much anymore, those days are behind me, but it still comes to mind. It’s still one of those songs where it kind of gets you going. It’s something I’ll never forget.

DTH: What’s next for you?

DG: Well, this summer I'm going to take a couple vacations, relax a little bit, maybe have some of my camps in New York. Travel a little bit, have some camps, then, you know, back to business, working out again. This is a big summer for me coming up. I’ve got one more year left on my contract. I hope I can continue to stay healthy and play well, because I want to continue to succeed and be a Spur. I'm going to do all of the proper habits, proper things I need to do to get my body right for another great season and also try to persuade some guys to come back. It’s going to be an interesting summer, but hopefully we get a great core coming back and we can do it again. It’ll be a lot of fun. My goal is to talk to those guys, keep in touch with those guys, see where their heads are at and individually work on myself. That’s what the summer is based on, individual, you know, preparation, trying to better yourself and also the chemistry of your team and continue to get them, keep them on the same page as you. When you come back next year, everyone is that much better individually and as a group.

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.