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Danny Green Names Two Toronto Raptors On His Mount Rushmore of Teammates
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- Danny Green Names Two Toronto Raptors On His Mount Rushmore of Teammates
It's a big year coming up for the Toronto Raptors as they are finally set to contend for a championship for the first time since 2019. Now that the investigation involving Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers is finally over, the path has been cleared for general manager Bobby Webster to finalize the trade to acquire the seven-time All-Star.
As Toronto now shifts gears from growing continuity with young talent to chasing a ring with two superstars at the helm, a member of the franchise's first championship team had an interesting segment on a recent podcast he appeared on. Appearing on the Lakeshow Podcast via Spectrum News was 15-year veteran Danny Green .
Former Toronto Raptors guard Danny Green and forward Pascal Siakam | John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
While he wasn't one of the premier players for the Raptors' first championship, the knockdown three-point shooter played a pivotal role in spacing the floor for Leonard and Kyle Lowry . He was able to use his exceptional ability to shoot the ball to win back-to-back championships with two different franchises: the Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
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Green was asked an excellent question on the podcast, which was who he would put on his Mount Rushmore of teammates; his answer may come as a surprise to many.
"[ LeBron James ] and [ Tim Duncan ] are up there for sure," said Green. "The next two is where it gets really dicey for me … I'mma put Kyle Lowry up there. I played with so many guys; if I went talent-wise, it would be different. [ Anthony Davis ], Dwight [Howard], Joel Embiid . My fourth Mount Rushmore teammate; this is tough … I'mma go OG Anunoby … He's a great kid, man. I've seen him grow, and he was a part of our championship team, but he didn't really play. He was in the hospital, I went to go visit him in the hospital. Fred VanVleet , another guy that's underrated, was a great teammate. Normal Powell, there's so many guys, Pascal [Siakam], that's from that Toronto group that I love, and Kawhi too."
Former Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) and guard Danny Green (14) with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) | Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
There's a lot to unpack from Green's lengthy answer, but the praise for Toronto is special. The former No. 46 pick in the 2009 NBA draft was fortunate enough to win three championships with three different franchises, and he was in amazing situations for all of them. With the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, he played a great role in the final championship of the dynasty with Duncan, Tony Parker , Ginobili , and Gregg Popovich, when they overcame James and the Miami Heat after falling to them in the Finals the year prior. With the Lakers in 2020, he was one of the vocal leaders on a team that endured the passing of franchise legend Kobe Bryant , along with playing in the Bubble. Known for its incredible team chemistry as they persevered through everything together, Green was appreciated by the Laker faithful for his participation in the team's first championship in a decade.
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Then comes the Raptors' first franchise championship. Undoubtedly led by Leonard, who had one of the greatest postseason runs of all time, Green again provided key shooting and championship experience to a team that had countless stars in their roles. Not to mention, they were tasked with defeating the infamous Golden State Warriors with Stephen Curry , Kevin Durant , Klay Thompson , Draymond Green , and DeMarcus Cousins , and defied the odds in doing so. The fact that he specifically shouted out several of his former teammates in Toronto shows just how close that team really was and how much it meant to the entire group to reach the top of the mountain. Now with Leonard back at the forefront of the entire nation, the Raptors hope this is the year they can replicate the chemistry, continuity, and dominance that came with the 2019 team.
