Josh Green climbing his way to the Summit
The accolades just keep on coming for Australian basketball phenom Josh Green. First it was his selection as a McDonalds All-American, and now 2019 gets even hotter for Green as he earns a spot on Team World at the Nike Hoop Summit.
With his invitation to the 2019 Summit, Green continues to cement his place as the best young Australian prospect since Ben Simmons. But right now, it’s one step at a time.
Today, it was game time in Atlanta, Georgia, with the 2019 McDonalds All-American Boys Game. The McDonalds game showcases the crème de la crème of the talent found in America’s high schools.
Green had a solid game in coming off the bench for the West Team. He finished the contest with 8 points and 2 assists in 14 minutes. Unfortunately his performance wasn’t enough to get the win, with East Team cruising to a comfortable 115-100 victory. Despite the loss, Green was able to show off his court vision with some pinpoint passes, including a lob late in the second half. He also exhibited some of his trademark athletic ability, finishing a nifty reverse layup in traffic midway that got his bench off their feet.
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As a participant of the McDonald’s Game, Green’s name will now be alongside the likes of legendary alumni such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and will make him the second ever Australian All-American since Ben Simmons in 2015 (Kyrie Irving entered the game listed as an American).
With the McDonalds game now behind him, the whirlwind will continue for Green. Before he can begin to think about his future life as an Arizona Wildcat, the five-star guard will make his second consecutive appearance at the Nike Hoop Summit on April 12 in Portland Oregon. Only this time, he will return to the Summit as the leader of the World Team.
The Summit pits the best American players against the best players from around the world, all aged 19 or under. The event has become a terrific barometer that is showing how quickly the gap between American and international basketball is closing.
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Last year, at his first Summit, Green played an integral part in a rare victory for the World Team over USA Team. His 11 points helped propel them to a 89-76 victory, World Team’s seventh ever in the Summit’s 22 year history. Coincidentally, the team’s previous victory was in 2015, the year Simmons played.
Green and the rest of World Team will have a tough task ahead of them, if they want to walk away as victors this year. This year’s USA Team is filled to the brim with some of the most intimidating names in high school basketball, including James Wiseman and Cole Anthony.
However, in 2019, Green returns to the Summit as an older, wiser, and even more deadly basketball player. Currently, the Sydney native is ranked seventh on the 2019 ESPN 100 rankings, making him the highest ranked member of World Team.
Green will go to the Summit following a lineage of great Australian talent. The Summit has had strong Australian representation in recent years, with current NBA stars Thon Maker, Dante Exum and Ben Simmons all former participants.
Now, it’s Green’s turn to carry the torch of young Australian basketball players onto the big stage. For this young man, more is sure to come.