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“LeBron Jumping 40in.. When You 1st See it”: Danny Green Reminisces “Wake-up Call” of Getting Drafted into Shaquille O’Neal & LeBron James’ Cavs

Published 10/04/2023, 3:00 AM EDT

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Philadelphia 76ers star Danny Green had one of the rarest opportunities in the NBA world. During his rookie season, he played alongside LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal for the Cleveland Cavaliers 2009-10. Yes, it was the only season where both Shaq and James wore the same jersey for 53 games. While it is exciting only to know this fact, Green had experienced it in his debut season. Fortunate enough for us, he recently opened up his days, playing alongside two superstars.

3x NBA Champion Green has moved around quite a bit during his career. In his 14-season-long stay in the league, he has represented six teams. On the other hand, he can be considered as one of the luckiest players in the league. He won three rings with three different teams, including a back-to-back in 2019 and 2020. Recently, the 76ers have signed him for a one-year contract in the offseason.

Danny Green reminisces playing alongside LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal

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LeBron James recently attended the media day of 2023-24 season, marking his 21st year in the league. Notably, the Los Angeles Lakers still consider him as the franchise leader despite his age. While the hype around the superstar still hasn’t come down, Danny Green opened up about playing alongside him in his 7th season. In addition to it, he also played with Shaquille O’Neal, who was in his last leg of his career.

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In the recent episode of Run Your Race, Green opened up about various aspects of his career. Importantly, the hosts brought in the rookie season question. Green added that he was upset that the Cavaliers picked him at 46 in the draft, but he was happy at the same time to play alongside two superstars. He also defined the moment when he practiced with Shaq and James. He said, Especially in the basketball world there’s a lot of wakeup calls man… I first got there I didn’t expect to play but when I was practicing with them.”

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He further narrated the whole experience in the practice session. He added, First practice, I’m like damn this is what this sh*t looks like in real life, Bron is jumping 40 inches one hand… I’m like, oh shit.”

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On the other hand, Shaq had a quite season with an average of 12 points in 53 games. However, his son, Shareef O’Neal could play much more games with James’ son Bronny.

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Shaq and James legacy

While the Shaq-James period lasted only for one season, there are chances that their off springs can carry forward the legacy for more period. Bronny James who is expected to be in the 2024 draft class, could play major role in it. Shareef O’Neal is currently playing in the G-League, might also find his way in the NBA after a few seasons. One common thing between the two youngsters in that, they both had gone through a heart condition in the recent times.

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What do you make of Danny Green’s experience in the rookie season? Let us know in the comments below.

 

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Written by:

Shahul Hameed

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Shahul Hameed is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports, where he brings his passion for sports and entertainment journalism to life. With a Master's Degree in journalism from a reputed institute and years of experience in the industry, Shahul always strives to provide insightful and astute coverage of the NBA to the fans. Shahul's love for sports writing dates back to his college days.
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Edited by:

Sameen Nawathe