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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CAVALIERS vs CELTICS

May 27, 2018

Jeff Green

Boston, Massachusetts: Game Seven

Cavaliers - 87, Celtics - 79.

Q. Jeff, given where the game was, the circumstances with you starting, that this franchise drafted you No. 5 overall [in 2007], what is what you were able to accomplish tonight, what does that mean to you?
JEFF GREEN: It means a lot because it helped my team get to The Finals. Coming in, I just told myself, play hard, stay in the zone, have fun with it, and enjoy the moment. Man, you work hard to get to this point. You know, it was right there for us. We stuck together. They made runs, and we stuck together and we just continued to play hard. I mean, it's hard to put into words because you always dreamed of going to The Finals, and now that dream of mine is there.

Q. Kyle [Korver] just said you were really vocal in the huddle, and he was kind of almost like surprised because he said, it's not what you're like --
JEFF GREEN: Yeah, I don't talk.

Q. Where did that come from, and was that just you in the moment, or what happened?
JEFF GREEN: I'm in the moment. This is the moment. It's the moment. I mean, I give everything to this game. To have the opportunity, playing a Game 7, go to The Finals in The Garden. I spent four years here, and the opportunity was right there, and I wanted it bad. You know, I mean, I talk, but today was just one of those days where my voice needed to be heard. When I talk, it's meaningful. It's useful. I don't just talk to talk.

I wanted it. I just voiced my opinion in certain timeouts and got back on the floor and had fun and had joy with the game.

Q. You signed with Cleveland on a one-year deal in July, and I assumed the idea would be this, to get to The Finals.
JEFF GREEN: Of course. I mean, that's the conversation I had with T-Lue [Tyronn Lue].

Q. But now what has the actual journey been like, given just the total craziness of the season and everything you guys have gone through?
JEFF GREEN: I mean, it's -- I can only speak for myself. Everybody doubted us. Everybody had their opinions on what our team was, what we would do, what we can't do, from the start. Our season was up and down. Started off the year not as good as everybody wished we would have started off. We win 13 straight, then we have another dull moment in our season, and then we had trades. I mean, we've been through multiple seasons in one.

And to be at this point where we are now, going to The Finals, for me, it's a blessing. You know, it shows the hard work, the team that we have, how hard we've worked to prove everybody wrong, prove the doubters wrong. And now, I mean, we're where we want to be. We're where we set out to be and where we knew we could be at this point.

We're not satisfied. We're not content with where we're at. I mean, there's two teams that's going to battle tomorrow, and one of them we are going to face and we're going to prepare and get ready for them. But to be where we're at, through all the doubters, all the hate, you name it, I think we had everything thrown in our direction. But we have one of the best players in the world, and we're going to fight to the end, and that's what we did, and that's why we're at the point that we're at now.

Q. You just touched on it about everybody doubting us and all of that. But when you hear like a point of criticism about LeBron's teammates and your being one of them, as them being sub-par, how do you personally take that?
JEFF GREEN: Honestly, I ignore it, because I know what our team is capable of. Like I said, everybody is going to have their opinion of what LeBron has around him. We lose, we have a terrible team. We win, oh, we knew they could do it. You know, it's the way it is.

We ignore it. We ignore it. We just go in the gym each day and we work hard and we try to get better, and that's why when the time comes, we get on the floor, we know we have all the confidence in the world in our team that we can battle with anybody. I mean, we keep all the negative energy out, and we continue to stay positive and be with one another and have each other's back.

Q. What has this journey been like playing with LeBron, and what have you learned from him over the past year?
JEFF GREEN: I learned possibly everything. Man, alongside one of the best players that ever played this game, so each day I come in the gym, and I'm by his side, I'm working out with him. I'm getting up shots, exercising. I'm seeing firsthand what it takes to be great, and he leads by example. He comes in every day, preparing his body, preparing his game, his craft, and he leads by example.

I mean, you guys see it first hand. There's not much I can say to try to describe what he does for us. He brings it every night, and I mean, that's what he's been doing, and that's what he's been doing all year. You know, I'm going to have his back. I'm going to be in a battle with him, and I enjoy the moment that this is, that we have. To be alongside him, I'm going to enjoy each day and continue to work to get to the ultimate goal.

Q. With that in mind, there are a lot of reasons to win and you talk about some of those, but is there a sense of obligation to LeBron in a sense for everything he does for that team, and how satisfying is it to come through not just for the Cavs but because he's working so hard and you can help him?
JEFF GREEN: Yeah, of course. You want to be there for him. You want to be in the trenches, in the battle, helping him achieve the ultimate goal. You're right with him. For me, it's a no-brainer to go out there and give it all I have. No matter how many minutes I play, I'm going to go out there and just play hard and just be there for him, be there for all my teammates, and do whatever it takes to win games. That's what I've been doing, and I'm going to continue to do that.

Q. When you had the heart problem, did you ever think about going to The Finals when you were rehabbing, and has that come to mind at all when you've played this series?
JEFF GREEN: Honestly, at that point, no. I wasn't concerned with the Finals at that point. My concern was health and getting back on the floor. After I got back on the floor, of course that's the main goal is to be able to compete in The Finals and win a championship. And I'm here, and I've battled. I've worked my [butt] off each day since January 9, 2012, to get back on this court and now compete for a championship. I mean, I almost lost it all, and now to sit here in front of you guys, to talk about the NBA Finals and playing in it, I mean, I've been truly blessed to be able to step foot on this court, to play this game. Each day I give it my all, whether good or bad. I live with the results. But I am enjoying it, every single moment of this. I mean, I don't take nothing for granted. Nothing.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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