After being waived by the Bucks before the 2017/18 regular season got underway, Gerald Green contemplated the possibility of retirement, as Kristie Rieken of The Associated Press writes. According to Green, he contacted his agent to set up an informal deadline to find another NBA job.
“I was like, ‘Look man, when January 1, 2018, hits, if I’m unsigned, I’m putting out a big statement on my Instagram letting everybody know, thank you for the awesome career over all these years but I’m done,'” Green said. “‘I ain’t going to play no more.'”
Green’s self-imposed deadline was just days away when the Rockets offered him a spot on their roster — he signed with the team on December 28, then had his salary guaranteed for the season a couple weeks later.
Now, Green admits that the call from the Rockets took him by surprise. As Rieken details, the veteran swingman had been “mentally checked out” from the NBA, and was spending his time working in real estate and helping victims of Hurricane Harvey.
“Basketball was the last thing on my mind until I got that call,” Green said. “Then it’s kind of like … ‘Are you serious?'”
In 41 regular season games for the Rockets, Green looked revitalized, averaging 12.1 PPG and 3.2 RPG for his hometown team. Those were his best marks since the 2013/14 campaign. While Green’s role hasn’t been as significant in the playoffs, he appears likely to head into the 2018 offseason with a better chance of finding a guaranteed contract than he had a year ago. As such, retirement probably won’t be a strong possibility for the 32-year-old this summer.
Gerald showing he can still play. We all knew but he needed that chance.