After almost three years of misfortune, the Philadelphia 76ers winger Danny Green received the Toronto Raptors 2019 NBA championship ring. Green spent only one season in Toronto, but played a key role in the franchise’s first NBA title. The 3-and-D specialist started in all 80 regular season games and in the 24 playoff games he played, averaging 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game. Throwing 3 in a clip with 45.5 percent better in his career, Green was consistently for the Raptors as a threat for deep shots and perimeter defender. When the Raptors hosted the 76ers in Toronto on Thursday, Green was honored with a video tribute and a championship ceremony. The video tribute aroused the Raptors fans … some really big rings 💍 @ DGreen_14 pic.twitter.com/XsjzIHAxEC – x – Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) April 7, 2022 … but the energy reached another level when Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet presented Green with the championship ring. YOU MUST SEE IT: 1,029 days after his last fight for the Raptors, Danny Green has finally received the 2019 championship ring! 💍 Presented by @Charmin | #EnjoyTheGo pic.twitter.com/MqufvgS0jX – Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 7, 2022 MORE: Fred VanVleet deserves a place on the NBA All-Defensive Team The long wait was a product of unfortunate circumstances, but it was worth it as Green was recognized by a large crowd of Raptors Scotiabank Arena fans. Green signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in the off-season 2019, but because their first meeting in Toronto was later in the season, it was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. When they finally faced it, the matchup came to the Orlando bubble. In 2020-21, the Raptors were forced to play their home games in Tampa, Florida due to restrictions on Canada’s COVID-19 borders. This, once again, delayed the Green Ring ceremony. “At one point I said, ‘Dude, I just have to get it,’” Green told his podcast. “Well, I was about to get it in Tampa, but then I said, ‘We waited so long and they didn’t have it there, let’s do it the right way.’ With the Raptors back in Toronto in 2021-22, Green could have received his ring earlier in the season, but he was in the league’s health and safety protocols when the 76ers and Raptors met on December 28th. However, Green said that even though he was healthy, the plan was to delay the ring ceremony until April 7 because the Scotiabank Arena had limited capacity at the time. His patience paid off, as Green won the reception he rightfully deserved on Thursday.
