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Last season, Danny Green was a huge headliner in the San Antonio Spurs' postseason run. He was knocking down shots and taking names. Having set a new record for three-point field goals made in an NBA Finals, the sharpshooter arguably would have been named Finals M.V.P., had it not been for Ray Allen's own respective long-range dagger in game six.
From there on out, the Heat became NBA champions once again.
But this year, a 2013 Finals rematch is taking place, and Green and co. are already well on their way to achieving redemption.
Coincidentally enough, San Antonio appears to have Green to thank for that once again. Whereas he continued to make it rain last postseason, the 26 year old waited until the fourth quarter of game one on Thursday to truly begin playing the hero yet again.
Despite starting the game missing his first four field goals, Green knocked down three key shots in the game's final period. His clutch play sparked what proved to be a 28-9 run over Miami by the Spurs. From there, his team never looked back, and San Antonio emerged victorious in game one by a score of 110-95. Green finished with 13 points.
The likes of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili are all undoubtedly future Hall of Famers who will be well remembered for leading the way en route to multiple Spurs championship victories. Still, there's something to be said about the clutch role players who make key contributions along the way, and Green is a perfect example of that taking place.
On a team headlined by some of the greatest stars the game will ever know, Green will be remembered as the X-Factor.
Of course, not only is Green an NBA D-League alum, but he's steadily becoming the poster child for minor leaguers achieving success in The Association (if he hasn't garnered such recognition already). Rising up and making an impact on the NBA level is all about finding one's niche.
Green has fit right in as a perfect complement to some of the game's biggest stars. The role he plays is exactly the type of one aspiring NBA players (from the D-League) should aim to slide into while hoping to achieve success on that level.