Sixers guard Danny Green discusses upcoming return to San Antonio
When a player returns to a place he once spent a lot of time, anticipation for the matchup for that player always exists. A lot of memories flow back with the chance to see some old teammates and familiar faces.
For Philadelphia 76ers guard Danny Green, he will experience that on Sunday when the Sixers begin a three-game road trip against the San Antonio Spurs. Green spent eight seasons in The Alamo, and he won a championship in 2014 while shooting 39.6% from deep in his career in San Antonio.
This will not be Green’s first return to San Antonio. He made previous trips while a member of the Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Lakers, so it will not be very emotional.
“It’s home,” said Green. “It’s always interesting. I’ve been back before my first time in Toronto, there were fans, it was weird, a lot of emotions going on at the time. We lost, we got ass kicked, by the way, hopefully, we can change that narrative, get a win, and hopefully, I can play better.”
The game Green is referring to is a matchup on Jan. 3, 2019 when the Spurs beat the Raptors 125-107 in an emotional battle. It was the return of Kawhi Leonard after he was traded to Toronto for DeMar DeRozan and the fans were rowdy in that one.
Green went scoreless in the matchup, but there will not be as many fans in the building for this one. San Antonio allows roughly 3,200 fans at the AT&T Center.
“It’s gonna be different without the fans there,” Green added. “It’s not my first visit, so it’s not as many emotions running high. Not as big of a rivalry, I guess, it was Toronto-San Antonio and they made it a whole big thing with Kawhi and DeMar, and that ordeal.”
It will not just be a return home for Green, but also a return to San Antonio for George Hill who spent his first three seasons with the Spurs.
“It’s always a home for me, it’s always a home for George, it’s always a place that I love,” Green added. “The fans, they showed a lot of love to me and support, but it’s another challenge. A day for us to get better and hopefully continue to win games and for me to find a rhythm, our team find a rhythm, individually and as a group, going into the playoffs.”
The Sixers and the Spurs will tip off at 8 p.m. EDT on Sunday.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
