Rowan Kavner 
Digital Content Coordinator
MEMPHIS – Jeff Green’s first game back in Boston last year held sentimental value.
The feelings aren’t quite the same as Green gets ready to play in Memphis for the first time since getting traded from the Grizzlies to the Clippers before this year’s trade deadline.
“It’s not, like, emotional,” Green said Friday. “I wasn’t here long enough. I could see if it was Boston, a team that I spent four years with, you know, went through a lot of personal stuff there, too. That was an emotional return.”
Green played 222 regular season games and another 15 postseason games for the Celtics before they traded him to Memphis midway through last season.
From last season through the beginning of this year, Green played a total of 98 regular season games and 11 postseason games for the Grizzlies before he was off to another team, spending the last 13 games with the Clippers.
As Green put it, he was only in Memphis about a calendar year.
“So, I don’t have any emotional ties,” Green said.
But he valued his personal relationships.
Green remains friends with many of his former Grizzlies teammates, from Zach Randolph, to Vince Carter, to Mike Conley and former Clippers small forward Matt Barnes, among others. He said he chatted Thursday night with Marc Gasol, as well.
“Those are relationships I kept,” Green said. “But as far as the return, it’s just another game.”
Green said he doesn’t feel he has something to prove as he goes back to the city. He also doesn’t hold any ill will toward the Grizzlies for trading him. Perhaps no one understands the business of the NBA as well as Green, who’s played for three teams since midway through last year.
While Green’s not overstating the importance of his return, his head coach knows most players facing off against their former team bring something extra.
“That’s just how it is,” Rivers said. “I was a player, too. Whenever you’re traded, you want to do well against your old team and the old team wants to do well against you. That never changes.”
There will be plenty of that going on for both sides Saturday night, even if Green doesn’t feel that way. After all, the current Grizzlies may look more familiar to Rivers and the Clippers’ veterans than to Green.
The Memphis players Green knew well, from Randolph, to Conley, to Gasol and Carter, are hurt. Even Conley’s backup, Mario Chalmers, is now injured. Green said JaMychal Green, Matt Barnes and Ryan Hollins are just about the only players he recognizes on the court.
And the latter two might be more recognizable to Rivers, Jordan and Jamal Crawford than to Green.
Barnes, who was a Clipper last year, is now starting for the Grizzlies. Hollins, who was a Clipper two years ago, is now starting for the Grizzlies. Lance Stephenson, who was traded from the Clippers to Memphis for Green, started last game for the Grizzlies.
Even Alex Stepheson, who finished his second 10-day contract with the Clippers last week, is getting playing time in Memphis, leaving plenty of players on the court at FedEx Forum the Clippers know well.
But at least on the Clippers’ side, they’re not putting much weight into how strange Saturday night might feel.
“I think people are making more of a story out of it,” Paul said.