Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony, Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin and Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson will take flight in the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk contest on Saturday, Feb. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. A first-time champion will be crowned as Anthony, Green and Toscano-Anderson are set to make their event debuts, and Toppin returns for his second appearance after finishing as the runner-up last year.
Tag: jalen green
Houston Rockets sign rookie guard Jalen Green
The Houston Rockets have signed guard Jalen Green, who was the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Green is scheduled to play for the Rockets entry in NBA Summer League 2021, which runs from August 8-17 in Las Vegas.
Green (6-6, 178), who turned 19 years old on Feb. 9, was the first player to sign with NBA G League Ignite, a team dedicated to the development and mentorship of top young prospects in preparation for the NBA Draft. In 15 G League games last season, he averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.53 steals, and 2.1 3-pointers made. Green tallied 30 points, 7 assists, 5 boards, and 3 steals in the Ignite’s lone playoff game vs. Raptors 905.
As a senior at California’s Prolific Prep in 2019-20, Green averaged 31.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He was ranked as the No. 1 high school prospect in the Class of 2020 by ESPN and was a McDonald’s All-American.
Jalen Green goes from G League Ignite to Rockets
During Thursday’s 2021 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets selected guard Jalen Green with the second overall pick.
Green (6-6, 178), who turned 19 years old on Feb. 9, was the first player to sign with NBA G League Ignite, a team dedicated to the development and mentorship of top young prospects in preparation for the NBA Draft. In 15 G League games last season, he averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.53 steals, and 2.1 3-pointers made. Green tallied 30 points, 7 assists, 5 boards, and 3 steals in the Ignite’s lone playoff game vs. Raptors 905.
As a senior at California’s Prolific Prep in 2019-20, Green averaged 31.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He was ranked as the No. 1 high school prospect in the Class of 2020 by ESPN and was a McDonald’s All-American.
Green won gold medals with USA Basketball at the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup, 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup, and 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
The only other time the Rockets drafted a player second overall was in 1970 with the selection of Rudy Tomjanovich. Houston also acquired the draft rights to Steve Francis, who was the No. 2 overall pick by Vancouver in the 1999 NBA Draft. Including Francis, the second overall pick has produced 16 Rookie of the Year winners, most recently Ja Morant in 2019-20 and Kevin Durant in 2007-08.
High school senior Jalen Green signs to play in G League next season
High school senior Jalen Green has signed to play in the NBA G League next season, league President Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced today. Green is ranked by ESPN as the No. 1 basketball recruit in the Class of 2020.
Green, a guard from Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., brings an impressive basketball résumé to the NBA G League, including his status as a consensus five-star recruit and a 2020 McDonald’s All-American. As a member of the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team, Green earned gold medals at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 and 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cups and the 2017 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship. He was named MVP of the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup in Argentina.
It’s a bold move. And in a normal situation, it would probably be smarter for a player to play college hoops and stand out there rather than entering the G League, which is much stronger competition. But in this case, the NBA and G League are changing the game, and giving top prospects a reason to no longer go the one-and-done college route.
And in Green’s case, this sounds like a smart move.
Some details from ESPN.com, are here:
California high school star Jalen Green, the No. 1 prospect in the 2020 ESPN 100, is making the leap to a reshaped NBA professional pathway program — a G League initiative that sources say will pay elite prospects $500,000-plus and provide a one-year development program outside of the minor league’s traditional team structure.
Green — a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft — announced Thursday that he is bypassing college to become the professional pathway’s first participant, a decision that likely clears the way for more commitments from elite prospects…
The NBA’s talks remain stalled with the National Basketball Players Association on an agreement to end the one-and-done draft model, leaving this revamped pro pathway program as a bridge to what is believed will be the eventual elimination of the rule requiring American players to wait a year after high school graduation before entering the draft.
“We’re thrilled to welcome a player and a person of Jalen’s caliber to the NBA G League,” said Abdur-Rahim. “He represents the next generation of NBA players, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him develop his professional skills in our league. Jalen will learn from an NBA-caliber coaching and player development staff as he begins his professional basketball journey in the NBA G League.”