Retired Celtics Fan Favorite Has Unforgettable Evening at TD Garden

Bobby Krivitsky | Aug 19, 2024

Apr 28, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Celtics forward Gerald Green (30) dunks the ball as Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic (44) looks on during the first quarter in game six of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday, TD Garden hosted its second championship on the hardwood this summer. Two months after seeing the Celtics capture Banner 18 on the fabled parquet, the Big3 was in Boston for its title game.

Rapper Ice Cube's professional three-on-three basketball league boasts dozens of former NBA players. The Big3 has taken their tournament internationally, including when Jaylen Brown suited up at the 02 Arena in London last year, becoming the first active NBA player to participate in a BIG3 game.

Sunday's championship matchup was the final stop on a nationwide 10-week tour that showcased the league in 10 cities.

The title tilt featured Bivouac, coached by Gary Payton and captained by another former Celtic, Gerald Green, leading a team that included the latter's brother Garlon.

In their way was 3's Company, coached by Lakers legend Michael Cooper and anchored by former second-overall draft pick Michael Beasley and two-time NBA champion Mario Chalmers.

In the same arena where his NBA career started, Green, who Boston selected out of high school with the 18th overall pick in the 2005 Draft, propelled Bivouac to a 50-47 victory with a team-high 18 points that all came from behind the arc. His performance earned him MVP honors.

"This is where it all started," said Green postgame, per Noa Dalzell of SB Nation. "This is the team that gave me a chance — in this building. I'm scoring my first NBA bucket in this building."

The Houston, Texas native's career included multiple stints with the Celtics. After his Sophomore season, he was a part of the trade that brought Kevin Garnett to Boston. While with the Timberwolves, Green won the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest, famously blowing out the candle on a cupcake.

After that, Green floated around the league, took his talents to Russia for two years, and eventually returned to where his professional career began.

Back with Boston for the 2016-17 campaign, a more mature Green took on a leadership role in Jaylen Brown's first NBA season. In a playoff run that reached the Eastern Conference Finals, the ten-year veteran averaged 7.5 points in 15 minutes of postseason playing time.

That stint, in particular, cemented him as a local fan favorite.

"The Bostonians are always showing me love out here," said Green, who's still often in Boston, visiting his kids: "I'm always showing love back."

While his 18 points in front of what's fair to classify as his home crowd were necessary to fend off a game-high 28 points from Beasley and 3's Company's late rally, Green's leadership was also essential to Sunday's championship win.

"Gerald, who was our captain, came to me and said, 'Coach, I want to come off the bench,'" Payton shared. "I want to be that inspirational guy.' To do what he did — that's leadership."

And while the trophy Green lifted wasn't the Larry O'Brien and won't come with a banner in the TD Garden rafters, "A championship is a championship," as he put it. "Can't take it away from me."

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