Javonte Green Bio
Javonte Green is an American-Montenegrin professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Radford Highlanders. After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Green played five years overseas before making his NBA debut in 2019 with the Boston Celtics, with whom he played for 1.5 seasons before getting traded to the Chicago Bulls in 2021. After nearly three seasons with the Bulls, Green played in the NBA G League for the Santa Cruz Warriors before returning to Chicago late in the 2023–24 season. The next season, Green played for the New Orleans Pelicans and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Early Life and Background
Javonte Green was born on July 23, 1993, in Petersburg, Virginia. He grew up in Petersburg until the age of 12, when he moved to live with his aunt in Alberta, Virginia. Green attended Brunswick High School in nearby Lawrenceville, where he played basketball under the guidance of former Virginia and NBA shooting guard Bryant Stith. As a senior, he averaged 18.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 3.1 steals per game, leading the Bulldogs to the VHSL Group AA Division 3 state title. He was named first team All-State and the Virginia Co-Player of the Year. Green committed to play college basketball at Radford University, the only NCAA Division I school to offer him a scholarship. He also played football at Brunswick, serving as the starting quarterback during his junior and senior years.
Path to Basketball
Green played four seasons for the Radford Highlanders, entering the starting lineup as a freshman. He averaged 10.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, earning a spot on the Big South Conference’s All-Newcomer team. As a sophomore, he led the Highlanders with 14.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, earning Second Team All-Big South honors. In his junior season, Green averaged 16.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game, setting the school record for steals in a single season with 68. He finished his collegiate career as Radford’s all-time leader in rebounds (1,064) and steals (245), and second in scoring with 1,911 points. His number 2 jersey was retired by the school on November 28, 2021.
Javonte Green Career
Early Career (2015–2019)
After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Green signed with Marín Peixegalego of the Spanish third division, LEB Plata, on September 11, 2015. In his first professional season, he averaged 18 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game, earning the LEB Plata MVP award. He then signed with Pallacanestro Trieste of the Italian second division, where he averaged 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.4 steals in his first season. Green returned to Trieste for a second season, averaging 18.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and leading the league with 2.3 steals per game. In July 2018, he signed with ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga, where he averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game.
Breakthrough (2019–2021)
Green’s breakthrough came when he was invited to play in the 2019 NBA Summer League with the Boston Celtics. He signed a two-year contract with the Celtics on July 25, 2019. Green made his NBA debut on October 25, 2019, against the Toronto Raptors, becoming the first former Radford player to play in an NBA game. He scored his first career points on November 7, 2019, against the Charlotte Hornets, finishing with 12 points. Green made his first NBA start on February 3, 2020, against the Atlanta Hawks. However, he underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure on August 25, 2020, to repair a meniscal tear in his right knee, missing the postseason.
Notable Works and Milestones
Green was traded to the Chicago Bulls on March 25, 2021, and re-signed with them on August 19, 2021. He underwent an arthroscopic debridement for a bone bruise in his right knee on January 11, 2023, returning to play limited minutes starting March 20. He recorded a career-high 25 points and 13 rebounds in a game against the New York Knicks on April 5, 2024.
Javonte Green Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Javonte Green has received several nominations and honors, including being named the Big South Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 and earning the LEB Plata MVP award in 2016.
Javonte Green Awards Won
Javonte Green has achieved notable recognition in his basketball career, including being a BBL All-Star in 2019 and having his number retired by Radford University. He was also the LEB Plata MVP in 2016 and the Big South Defensive Player of the Year in 2015.
Javonte Green Family
Javonte Green has three children, including two daughters and one son. Details about his family life remain private.
Personal Life
Green is a dual citizen of the United States and Montenegro. He made his debut with the Montenegro national basketball team in 2017 during the European 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers, averaging 11 points, 4.5 rebounds, and four steals in two games.
