Danny Green Gives $1 Million To Endow Carolina Men's Basketball Scholarship

CHAPEL HILL – Three-time NBA champion and 2009 NCAA champion Danny Green, who played in more wins than any Tar Heel, is making a $1 million gift to the University of North Carolina to endow a scholarship in his alma mater's men's basketball program.

Green, a 12-year veteran of the NBA and currently starting small forward for the Philadelphia 76ers, has won NBA championship rings with the 2014 San Antonio Spurs, 2019 Toronto Raptors and 2020 Los Angeles Lakers.

The North Babylon, N.Y., native played in 123 wins for UNC from 2005-09. He is the only Tar Heel with at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 blocks and 100 steals. He joins an exclusive group with Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and James Worthy as the three Tar Heels to win NCAA and NBA championships.

"It's a great way for me to honor something that I'm very passionate about," Green said in an interview with Adam Lucas for GoHeels.com. "It was an easy decision for me, because if I can help a kid and help the program that means so much to me, why wouldn't I? Carolina is in my blood and it's an honor to be part of it."

Green came to Carolina in 2005 with classmates Tyler Hansbrough, Marcus Ginyard, Bobby Frasor and Mike Copeland, each of whom concluded their careers with three regular-season Atlantic Coast Conference championships, two ACC Tournament titles, two Final Four appearances, four wins at Duke, the 2009 NCAA crown and their degrees.

"When Eric (Montross) called me and told me what Danny was doing, it was emotional for me," said UNC head coach Roy Williams. "Danny Green loves this University just like Roy Williams does, and I don't think there's anyone in the world who loves the University more than I do. To have one of my players say I want to be part of this was emotional. It's hard to even talk about. It makes me feel like someone else believes in this place the same way that Roy and Wanda Williams do, and that means so much to me.

"Danny and I come from similar backgrounds in that it wasn't always smooth for us, but we had a lot of love in our families," added Williams. "He's a very, very bright young man, and he's very loyal to the University and to the basketball program. Any time you talk to Danny Green, it is always very clear how much he loves Carolina, both as a University and as a basketball program."

This $1 million gift allows Green to focus on a key component of the current Campaign for Carolina Athletics: providing opportunities through scholarships for Tar Heel student-athletes. The campaign, a $500 million fundraising effort, is part of the University's overall For All Kind campaign.

"Danny embraces his role as a leader in every part of his career and life," says Eric Montross, Senior Director of Major Gifts with The Rams Club and a former Tar Heel All-America and national champion men's basketball player. "He loves this University, and he understands the impact an education from Carolina can have on a young person's life. His commitment to providing opportunities for future generations to enjoy this experience is genuine and incredibly appreciated."

In 2020, Green and LeBron James became the first players in NBA history to start for three different franchises that won NBA titles. They joined Robert Horry and John Salley as the only players in NBA history to play for three different organizations to win NBA championships.

Green is tied for fourth in NBA Finals history with 59 career three-pointers, trailing only Stephen Curry, James and Klay Thompson. A tremendous long-range shooter, defensive stopper and locker room leader, Green set an NBA record in 2019 for the most consecutive seasons (eight) with 100 three-pointers and 40 blocked shots. He played eight seasons under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, where he became the first Spur to compile 900 three-pointers and 400 blocks. He set the NBA Finals record in 2013 with 27 three-pointers, which broke Ray Allen's previous Finals' mark of 22.

The Philadelphia Inquirer noted in a recent article how the 33-year-old Green has become a leader on and off the court as one of the NBA's "voices of reason" and how he is looked to as an example by many of the game's younger players. He is an active leader in the NBA and his local community working for social justice, particularly since last summer when the NBA season resumed in Orlando.

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Danny Green Gives $1 Million To Endow Carolina Men's Basketball Scholarship

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