Johnny Green (basketball)

Michigan State named an annual rebounding award in Green's honor. His jersey number 24 was retired by Michigan State. He was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.

The following season, 1972–73, the Royals franchise relocated and became the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. But despite turning 39, he remained a significant contributor, playing nearly 19 minutes per game and averaging 7.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. It was his final NBA season.

There wasn't much fall-off in 1971–72. Although he turned 38, he played in all 82 games, averaging 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

However, just when it appeared Green's NBA career might be over after 10 seasons, in September 1969 he called Cincinnati Royals coach Bob Cousy and asked for a tryout. He signed as a free agent with the Royals and had a career resurgence in the 1969–70 season. He became a starter for the Royals, averaging 15.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game while leading the NBA in field goal percentage at .559. He had a season-high 32 points on March 11, 1970, against the Boston Celtics and averaged 23.5 points per game over the final seven games.

The resurgence continued in 1970–71 – at age 37, he again led the NBA in field goal percentage at .587, averaging 16.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game – and he was named an NBA all-star for the fourth time in his career. On December 20, 1970, he had one of his best-ever games, scoring a career-high 39 points in a one-point double-overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons.

In 1968–69, during which he turned 35 years old, he again averaged just over 10 minutes per game with the 76ers, averaging a career-low 4.7 points and 4.5 points per game. After the season, he was released by the 76ers.

On May 1, 1967, he was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the NBA expansion draft. During the 1967–68 season, he played in 42 games for the Rockets, averaging over 25 minutes per game. On January 11, 1968, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, for whom he played 35 games in a reduced role, averaging just over 10 minutes per game. For the season, he averaged 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

In 1965–66, his seventh with the Knicks, after seven games he was traded to the Baltimore Bullets. For the season, he averaged 11.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game and his .536 field goal percentage ranked second in the league. In 1966–67 with the Bullets, in a part-time role he averaged 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds.

In 1964–65, he averaged 11.0 points and 7.0 rebounds and was named an NBA all-star for the third time. He had a season-high 33 points on December 30, 1964 against the San Francisco Warriors.

Green's playing time dipped slightly in 1963–64, but he still averaged 14.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game including a season-high 27 points on November 16, 1963 against the Cincinnati Royals. He also led the Knicks in rebounding for a third consecutive season with 799.

In 1962–63 his scoring average was a career-high 18.1 along with 12.1 rebounds per game, and he again led the Knicks with 964 rebounds. He was named an NBA All-Star for the second time.

In his rookie season of 1959–60 for the Knicks, during which he turned age 26, he played nearly 18 minutes per game, averaging 7.0 points and 7.8 rebounds. On February 26, 1960, against the Philadelphia Warriors, he set a Knicks rookie record that still stands with 25 rebounds.

His playing time increased in 1960–61, when he averaged 10.2 points and 10.7 rebounds. He was a full-time starter in 1961–62, averaging 15.9 points and 13.3 rebounds, leading the team in rebounds with 1,066, and he was named to the NBA All-Star Game. In February 1962, he set Knicks team record with three consecutive games of 20 or more rebounds (since tied by Walt Bellamy, Willis Reed and Tyson Chandler).

Green was a first-round draft pick (fifth overall) in the 1959 NBA draft by the New York Knicks.

In 1958–59, he led the Spartans to another Big Ten title and a 19–4 record, falling a game short of the NCAA Final Four. Averaging 18.5 points and 16.6 rebounds per game, he earned first-team All-American honors from the Helms Foundation and was second-team All-American of AP, UPI, NABC and The Sporting News.

He was also named first-team All-Big Ten for three years and was named Big Ten MVP in 1958–59.

As a junior in 1957–58, he increased his per-game rebounding average to 17.8 while averaging 18.0 points per game on 53.8 percent field goal shooting. He was named second-team All-American by NABC and The Sporting News and third-team All-American by the Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UPI) and the Helms Foundation.

While in college, he was married and in 1957 Green's wife gave birth to sons Jeffery and Johnny.

The Marine base football coach, Dick Evans, a Michigan State University (then College) alumnus, recognized Green's athletic ability and wrote a letter of recommendation to MSU basketball coach Forddy Anderson. Green, by then age 21, visited MSU while on leave in October 1955.

After completing his military commitment, Green enrolled at Michigan State in 1955, and played on the 1955–56 Spartans' freshman team. He became eligible to play on the varsity in January 1957, at age 23.

John M. "Jumpin' Johnny" Green (born December 8, 1933) is an American retired professional basketball player.