INDIANAPOLIS – If there was an NBA game to be played during his career, the odds are very high that A.C. Green would show up for work and play in that particularly game.
No matter if he was hurt, wasn’t feeling well, bruised or had his teeth knocked out, Green was hellbent on punching the time clock and putting in an honest day’s work. That’s why Green is considered as the NBA’s Iron Man.
From Nov. 19, 1986, until he retired from the NBA on April 18, 2001, Green played in 1,192 consecutive games. That’s the longest streak of consecutive games anyone has ever played in NBA history.
To put it more bluntly, from the 1987-88 season through the 2000-01 season, Green played in all 82 games each season except for the 1996-97 season and the 1998-99 season.
By contrast, Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets owns the current longest consecutive games played streak at 446 in a row.
Green was traded from Phoenix to the Mavericks on Dec. 26, 1996, in a blockbuster deal that sent Jason Kidd to the Suns. He played 83 games that season. Also, Green and every other player was limited to just 50 games during the 1998-99 season due to the lockout.
In other words, Green played all 82 games in 13 different seasons in addition to playing 83 games one season.
The 23rd overall pick of the 1985 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, Green only missed three regular season games – in his second season in 1986-87 – during his entire 16-year career. And that was due to a coach’s decision by then-Lakers coach Pat Riley.
Green said he never really considered sitting out a game due to a nagging injury or any type of load management.
“You always feel you have the responsibility to yourself, your family and of course to your teammates to really go out and do what you do,” Green told Mavs.com during All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. “That was the fun part about being in sports – you like playing, you enjoyed playing.
“God gave you a gift and an ability. You wanted to try and say thank you by going out there and utilizing it on a daily basis.”
Green, who played for the Mavs from 1996-99, had this to say about load management, which is prevalent in the NBA today.
“You got to do what you have to do in that sense,” he said. “I think a lot of player’s body, they’re not built the same. They’re just not wired the same way from a mental standpoint and more importantly from a physical standpoint.
“Now, you’re trying to run the race for the long haul. You’re not trying to win it in a sprint. You’re trying to win it as a thoroughbred. And I think that’s what a lot of teams are also managing the players like. They want them there for the playoffs. The in-season tournament changed that around a little bit this year and it forced a lot of teams to have to play their players early on and play them some consistent minutes. But I like it, though. Honestly, I do.”
Guard Randy Smith held the NBA’s Iron Man record of consecutive games played at 906 in a row until Green broke it on Nov. 20, 1997, while he was playing for the Mavs during a game at Reunion Arena against the Golden State Warriors. A crowd of over 14,000 gave Green a standpoint ovation, and the game was stopped right after the opening tipoff while NBA vice-president Rod Thorn walked on the court and presented Green with the record-breaking game ball.
Green, who averaged 9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 28.6 minutes in his career, was hampered by a torn thumb ligament, cramps, deep thigh bruises, back pains and a stiff neck at various times while he was chasing Smith’s record. And when J.R. Reid of the New York Knicks elbowed Green in the mouth and knocked out two of his teeth on Feb. 25, 1996, Green, who was playing for the Suns at the time, kept the streak alive by wearing a face mask and playing very few minutes over the ensuing 12 games.
Nowadays, Green is in the National Basketball Retired Players Association, and owns a company named 1192 Pro.
“I ended up playing 1192 consecutive games, so the name of the company is 1192 Pro,” Green said. “We’re about authentication, we’re about manufacturing, apparel, shoes, clothes. You can reach us at 1192pro.com.”
An NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987, 1988 and 2000, and an NBA All-Star in 1990, Green also is doing whatever he can to help promote the NBRPA.
“We’re creating more opportunities for the retired players,” he said. “We’re trying to find ways to let our guys know that your health is important, so we’ve got to make sure you are trying to bring a healthy atmosphere, healthy companies and health care companies to (All-Star Weekend) to let guys know and remind them to get your checkups and do your testing. And then to remember it’s always important to touch your communities and get out there and touch the neighborhoods that are surrounding you.
“There’s still a lot of needs out here, and us as retired players we still can be effective, we still can have a positive impact on the community, and that’s still important. And then at the same time let’s keep finding money-making opportunities for the guys, because a lot of guys are looking for more things to do that can actually produce money for them and their family. We’re still a family, and we need to try to find a way to take care of them.”
Despite his busy schedule, Green still takes time to watch the Mavs play.
“I love watching them,” he said. “Obviously, they’re a tough talented team. It always seems like they’re missing a component, they’re missing a piece. They’ve had a lot of perimeter players that they’ve had a rotating door with, unfortunately, that have come and gone.
“But dang, I want them to get back into that deep playoff run. That’s what I really hope can happen with them, because I like them, I like their ownership. My fingers are always crossed for them.”
The 60-year old Green is hopeful that the Mavs’ new acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford will push them into the NBA championship conversation.
“I think those guys are talented in what they do from the paint as well as from the perimeter,” he said. “Hopefully that’s going to sustain them even more. It’s just a matter of chemistry and playing with those guys and seeing how they can be effective.”
X: @DwainPrice
