Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer recently honored North Babylon’s Danny Green for winning the 2014 NBA Championship as a member of the San Antonio Spurs by presenting him with the key to the Town – only the fourth time such an honor has been presented. A parade was held in Green’s hometown with hundreds of fans in attendance, including local officials such as Supervisor Schaffer, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature DuWayne Gregory, State Senator Phil Boyle, Councilwoman Jacqueline Gordon, Councilman Tom Donnelly, and Receiver of Taxes Corinne DiSomma.
The parade began at Marion G. Vedder Elementary School and headed north up Deer Park Avenue to the basketball courts at Phelps Lane Park – where a ceremony was held to congratulate Danny, who was also presented with Suffolk County’s Distinguished Service Award. Danny led the parade and showed off the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy to the crowd.
Green was a two-sport athlete at North Babylon High School, where he played both basketball and football before transferring to St. Mary’s High School in Manhasset his sophomore year. Following his high school career, Green enrolled in the University of North Carolina where he played for four years on the Tar Heels basketball team. Green had a celebrated career at UNC, where he set team and conference records while leading his team to a NCAA Division 1 Championship victory in 2009. Following his team’s championship victory, Green declared for the NBA Draft where he was selected in the second round by the Cleveland Cavaliers before joining the San Antonio Spurs, who made back to back appearances in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. In 2013, Green set a league record for the most three-point field goals in NBA Finals history.
Despite being a nationally known basketball figure, Danny still returns to the area to take part in community initiatives, participating in local clean-up events and helping repair local basketball courts, while also hosting youth basketball camps.
Pictured with Danny Green (fourth from top left) are Presiding Officer Gregory (top left); Danny Green Sr. (second from top left); County Executive Bellone (third from top left); Councilwoman Gordon (sixth from top left); Wyandanch Community Resource Center Director Kimberly Jean-Pierre (fourth from top right); State Senator Boyle (second from top right); Receiver of Taxes DiSomma (top right); Councilman Donnelly (bottom left); Supervisor Schaffer (second from bottom left); young fans and North Babylon youth basketball players.