Handling Business

Former Gator Taurean Green prepares for a big season in France

Written by Brooke Thomas

 

Former Gator point guard, Taurean Green, prepared for a big season in France

Minutes before falling asleep, Green would lie in his bed at night, extending his arm in the air time and time again.

This was no assignment given to establish good shooting technique. He didn't know that with every flick of his wrist, he was working on his follow through. There was no ball or basket.  Green was just a toddler playing make-believe with a game that he would come to know and love very well.

"Ever since I was little I decided I wanted to play basketball," Green said.

Trying to pinpoint exactly when he made his decision is as hard as trying to stay in front of the shifty point guard on the court. For a moment, Green –- who helped the Florida Gators to capture consecutive national championships in 2006 and 2007 –- leaned back in his chair contemplating where it all began.


A slight grunt came through more like a laugh and then his answer, "Sometime in between newborn and first steps."

After a lifetime of basketball filled with a multitude of achievements and his share of disappointment, Green talked as though the game was still as fresh as the day he first encountered it.

Too young to remember all of his innate basketball moments, his parents would often tell the toddler stories of his simulated jump shots and crossover moves. Stories that have him convinced that even before he was able to fully express himself, he knew he had found his lifelong passion.

October will begin his seventh season as a professional basketball player, his sixth playing overseas. Earning Guard of the Year, First Team All Imports, and First-Team All-League accolades in the Italian League last season, Green entered the summer with only one focus – handling business.

Spending the offseason in Orlando, Fla., one of his childhood cities, Green entrusted his workout regimen to Irwin Hudson and the Orlando Hoops staff. Hudson, well renowned in the area, was the assistant coach at Lake Howell High School in Green's freshman year. Since then he has personally developed a myriad of college and professional players. Hudson's most notable talent is Chandler Parsons, former Gator and now starting wingman for the Houston Rockets. Parsons still works out with OHoops when he's back home.

"The great thing about OHoops is every day you're going to get a different look," Green said. "Each trainer has a different style and a different strength so you get that well rounded aspect to your game."

In "The Lab," the personal gym of OHoops, Green went through strength training, speed and agility drills, basketball workouts, and countless repetitions on the shooting gun. His proudest improvement has come in his leg strength, boasting that in one of his last workouts he dunked every finish during a detailed layup drill.

"But not just dunked," Green corrects his self-praise, "I threw it down with authority."

It was the highlight of the offseason for the 6-foot-1 guard.

"It's been a great summer," Green said. "You set goals, you work hard, and then you realize them. That's what it's all about -- handling your business."

Green inherited the motto, "Handling business," from his father, Sydney Green, a 10-year NBA center who spent one season with the Orlando Magic. Like most sons of NBA players, Green got a taste of the NBA life at an early age. He recalls the upbeat locker room environment, challenging the games greatest players to shooting contests, and spending hours with his dad going through drills to master his footwork. As he grew so did the outside expectation to live up to his father's accomplishments. But, even now, Green feels no pressure.

"My dad did a great job of helping me become my own player," Green said. "Of course people are going to compare our careers, but he has always encouraged me to create my own legacy."

Green's legacy will include a record setting career at the University of Florida. In his sophomore and junior year, Green was the floor general of the only starting five -- he was joined by Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah and Lee Humphrey -- in the history of the NCAA to ever win back-to-back national championships.

After their junior campaign, Horford, Brewer, Noah, and Green declared for the NBA Draft. Horford, Brewer and Noah, now established NBA players, were all lottery picks. Green fell to the second round as the 52nd pick.

"Draft night was a little bit of mixed emotions." Green recalls. "I was disappointed because I expected to go higher, but at the same time I was excited to be one of 60 players drafted. It was a dream come true."

A month into his rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers he was sent down to the developmental league. After being called up a month later, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets. Never able to find his niche, Green found himself outside the NBA after just one year.

Green describes his experiences as blessings while others may view them as letdowns. A positive mindset he also learned from his father. Known for his motivational speeches, the elder Green would tell his son to make the best of whatever situation came his way.

"Everybody goes through a rough patch," Green said, quoting his dad. "Nothing is going to improve or get better if you sit there and have a negative attitude about stuff."

Taking his father's advice, Green has excelled as a European professional, making a name for himself in all the top tier leagues. Now heading into the ProA French League, he knows this year is his biggest opportunity yet.

"A lot of people think that if you don't make it in the NBA then you didn't make it," Green explained. "That's not true. There's a lot of great basketball being played in Europe."

Although he is grateful for the success he's been able to achieve, getting back to the NBA is still a very tangible goal. Dwight Buycks, last year's Player of the Year in the ProA French league, just signed a two-year contract with the Toronto Raptors after having a standout summer league with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Green is looking to recreate a very similar story.

"It's a big year for me," Green said. "Play well this year and then hopefully next summer play summer league. Get some looks from some NBA teams."

The former Gator demonstrated confidence and expectation with every word. For Green there's no pressure, it has always been just business.


This article can also be viewed on www.foxsportsflorida.com

 

Brooke Thomas is a Productions Assistant at Fox Sports Florida.  Brooke graduated from Wake Forest in 2012 as the school's all-time career leader in assists and games played.  She has been a proud member of the OHoops Family for over 10 years.  To find out more about Brooke Thomas, check out our #OfficialOHoopers page and connect with her on Twitter