FILIPINO-American Jalen Green is harnessing himself for the tough grind ahead in the National Basketball Association (NBA) G-League, saying he needs to muscle up as his 18-year-old body will be tested by grown men in the league.
Green met members of the Philippine sports media online on Thursday morning and talked about his young career such as his preparation for the physicality that playing against grown men will bring. He said he’s been “working hard in the gym” to prepare his body for the physical play that playing the G-League may bring.
On possibly being a physical target by more established players in the G-League, Jalen stated, “I’ve had a target on my back since I was a freshman in high school.”
The young man is mentally and physically ready to play and meet the grinding demands of playing in the next level.
On Filipino Kai Sotto, his teammate at Select team, the standout from Prolific Prep said, “Me and Kai are brothers on and off the court.”
Asked if he would play for the Philippine team, he replied, “it may or may not happen because I already played for the US, but I would love to.” He donned the US’s colors in two Fiba tournaments in 2018 (Under-19 World Cup in Heraklion, Greece, which the US dominated) and in 2019 (Under-17 World Cup in Argentina, where he was named MVP).
On any improvements on his game, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard said, “When I played in the Philippines at the NBTC [National Basketball Training Center], I used the tournament to improve my jump shot.” Green wasn’t a consistent outside shooter coming out of high school, so he obviously knows what he needs to work on.
The meet and greet part of the online program was much lighter when Jalen was interviewed by his peers from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).
Green remembered a familiar face when National University (NU) Bulldogs forward Shaun Ildefonso asked a question, Jalen animatedly went, “I remember you…NU! NU!”
Mikey Rosales, Head of Marketing for PepsiCo, set the light tone in the session.
“What burns do you wear on your feet?” For the uninitiated, burns is slang for basketball shoes or sneakers.
The session was organized with episodes of spontaneity with one sportswriter asking “what Filipino words have you learned in the Green household?” His mom, Bree, is from Ilocos Sur.
Overall, it was a fun and interesting discussion with a kid who seems to have a good head on his shoulders. With his immense talent and out-of-this-world athleticism, it’s not easy to make decisions regular 18-year-olds do not.
He may well be the first Filipino-American to play in the NBA since Raymond Townsend entered the league in 1978. Townsend played three seasons with the Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers. His mother, Virginia Marella, is from Balayan, Batangas.
The thing that struck me with this kid was his answer to the question, “What has changed since you decided to join the G-League?” And his answer was, “There are more people who want to be around me.”
I couldn’t recall the rest of his answer but the fact is, at such a young age, he already is aware of the company that he should and shouldn’t keep. These people may have different agenda or intentions and I’m happy the kid is aware of that. We’ve heard a lot of stories about young players hanging out with the wrong crowd and falling before their star can rise.
I see this young man keeping himself grounded as his star ascends and rises.
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