NBA.com: A.C. Green Bio

A solid rebounder and unselfish forward who has played in more consecutive games than any other player in NBA history, A.C. Green has added a winning ingredient to both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns and brought valuable leadership and experience to the rebuilding Dallas Mavericks. In 1997-98 he became the NBA's all-time leader when he surpassed Randy Smith's mark of 906 consecutive games played. He is now taking aim at the all-time NBA/ABA record of 1,041 consecutive games played held by Ron Boone, which he could break early in the 1999-2000 season. He enters the campaign having played in 1,028 consecutive games. Green was a four-year star at Oregon State, where he finished second in school history in rebounding and fourth in scoring. He was an All-Pac-10 selection as a sophomore, and as a junior he ranked fourth in the nation in field goal percentage at .657. As a senior he averaged 19.1 points and 9.2 rebounds and was named to the All-America Third Team. The Los Angeles Lakers, fresh from winning an NBA championship, came up with a gem when they selected Green with the 23rd overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. Green fit ideally into the Los Angeles flow, as he did not need to have plays run for him in order to be effective He led the Lakers in rebounding for six of his eight years on the team. In addition to providing the Lakers with constant work on the glass, his speed and willingness to run the break as a power forward helped make the team's "Showtime" offense one of the best ever. Led by Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles captured back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988, Green's second and third years with the squad. In the two campaigns combined, he averaged 11.1 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting better than .500 from the field. Green also reached the NBA Finals with Los Angeles in 1989 and 1991. Green was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 1988-89, was voted a starter on the 1990 Western Conference All-Star Team and finished fourth in the league in field goal percentage in 1992-93 at .537. Green left the Lakers in 1993 to sign with the Phoenix Suns as a free agent. The Suns had just reached the NBA Finals, losing in six games to the Chicago Bulls, and they viewed Green as the missing piece to their championship puzzle. Green posted a career-high average of 14.7 points per game in 1993-94, but the Suns were eliminated in the conference semifinals. In 1994-95 he again contributed double-figure scoring as well as solid rebounding for the Suns, but his playing time and contributions dipped a bit in 1995-96, although he remained the team's second-leading rebounder. He was traded two months into the 1996-97 season to the Dallas Mavericks in the deal that brought Jason Kidd to Phoenix. He brought valuable experience and reliable rebounding to the rebuilding Mavs, leading the team off the boards in 30 of the 56 games he played in a Dallas uniform. Because of the trade he was able to move one game closer to the record of consecutive games played, since he appeared in 83 games in 1996-97 instead of the standard 82. He tied Shawn Bradley for the team lead in rebounding in 1997-98 with 8.1 rpg, but his season highlight came on November 20 against Golden State when he played in his 907th consecutive game, becoming the league's all-time iron man. He played in his 1,000th consecutive game on March 13, 1999 against Vancouver, and finished the 1998-99 season at 1,028 in a row and counting. After 14 seasons in the league, Green has missed only three games, all during the 1986-87 season (his second in the league) and all because of the coach's (Pat Riley) decision.

1999-2000 REGULAR SEASON
Logged 11 points and 9 boards in a 100-88 win over Philadelphia on 3/31 Totaled 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in an 89-88 victory in Houston on 11/10

1998-1999 REGULAR SEASON
Scored 13 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds against the L.A. Lakers on 3/22 Played in his 1,000th consecutive game, posting 11 points (5-9 FG) and 6 rebounds, in a 91-74 win over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 3/13 Totaled 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds in a 93-76 victory over the Orlando Magic on 3/11 Recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings on 3/7 Registered 19 points (8-10 FG) and a team-high 12 rebounds in a 112-99 victory over the Denver Nuggets on 3/2

1997-1998 REGULAR SEASON
Posted 14 points, a game-high 14 rebounds and 4 assists against the Golden State Warriors on 4/16 Recorded team-highs with 21 points (7-9 FG) and 9 rebounds against the Seattle SuperSonics on 4/2 Totaled 22 points and 7 rebounds in a 104-101 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 3/31 Registered 12 points and a season-high 17 rebounds in a 104-97 overtime win over the Chicago Bulls on 3/12 Posted 16 points (8-11 FG) and 6 rebounds against the Miami Heat on 3/7 Scored a season-high 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 103-77 victory over the Washington Wizards on 2/28 Totaled 11 points and a game-high 15 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves on 2/15 Scored 9 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds against the Boston Celtics on 2/4 Recorded 14 points (6-8 FG) and a team-high 11 rebounds in a 105-91 victory over the New York Knicks on 12/4 Played in his 907th consecutive game, breaking Randy Smith's all-time NBA record, against the Golden State Warriors on 11/20 Registered game-highs with 20 points, 13 assists and 4 steals against the Sacramento Kings on 11/18 Posted 9 points, a game-high 16 rebounds and a career-high 8 assists against the L.A. Lakers on 11/11 Totaled 15 points and 14 rebounds a 90-88 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on 10/31

1996-1997 REGULAR SEASON
After averaging just 5.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in 20.3 minutes in 27 games for Phoenix, Green was traded to Dallas along with Sam Cassell, Michael Finley and a second-round draft choice for Jason Kidd, Loren Meyer and Tony Dumas on Dec. 26, 1996. As a Maverick he showed he could still handle more than spot duty. He played in 56 games for Dallas, 54 as a starter, and averaged 7.9 points, a team-high 9.3 rebounds and 0.93 steals in 34.7 minutes per game. He had 15 double-doubles as a Maverick and led the team in rebounding 30 times, including 10 of the final 15 games. He grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds, with seven points, in a 107-105 double overtime loss to Minnesota on Feb. 27, a game in which he played a season-high 50 minutes. He scored a season-high 21 points, plus 15 rebounds, in a 100-95 win at Vancouver on Feb. 17. Because of the way the schedule fell at the time of the trade, he moved a step closer to the consecutive games record by appearing in 83 games in 1996-97, one more than a team's normal schedule. Teammate Michael Finley and Detroit's Aaron McKie were the only other players to play in 83 games in 1996-97.

1995-1996 REGULAR SEASON
Green contributed both as a starter and a reserve in his third season with the Suns, making 36 starts and coming off the bench 46 times in a somewhat reduced role. His 2,113 minutes were the fewest since his rookie season, as was his scoring average of 7.5 ppg, and his rebounding mark of 6.8 rpg was the third-lowest of his career. However, he still ranked second on the Suns in rebounding. Green, who appeared in all 82 games for the ninth year in a row and the 10th time in his 11-year career, almost saw his ironman streak come to an end after he was hit in the face with an elbow by J.R. Reid in a game against New York on Feb. 25. Two of his teeth were knocked out, but he did not miss a game, wearing a special face mask for the next 12 games. Prior to that injury, Green was averaging 9.2 ppg and 8.2 rps in 31.7 mpg. Green had 20 double-doubles on the season, including a 20-20 game on Jan. 9 against the Clippers when he scored a season-high 29 points and grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds. He scored his 10,000th career point against Toronto on Feb. 23, 1996, becoming one of 10 active players to reach 10,000 points and 7,000 rebounds. He started all four of Phoenix's playoff games, averaging 4.8 ppg and 4.5 rpg.

1994-1995 REGULAR SEASON
Green toiled through his eighth straight season without missing a game in 1994-95, taking his streak of consecutive games played to 731-third highest all-time in the NBA. One of only two Phoenix Suns players to appear in all 82 games during the campaign (along with Dan Majerle), Green averaged 11.2 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting .504 from the field. He was fifth on the team in scoring and second in rebounding. The shortened three-point arc helped Green to his finest season as an outside shooter. He knocked down 42 of 123 treys for a .341 clip; his previous high for three-point baskets had been 16. A three-pointer in overtime against the Seattle SuperSonics on March 3 led to an important win as Phoenix finished the regular season only two games ahead of the Sonics in the division. Green collected a season-high 15 rebounds twice. On February 24 he scored 16 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on perfect shooting-5-of-5 from the field and 6-of-6 from the line. The Suns captured the Pacific Division with a 59-23 record, defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, and then bowed to the Houston Rockets in the conference semifinals. Green was a force in the playoffs, averaging 12.8 points and 12.0 rebounds.

1993-1994 REGULAR SEASON
After spending eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Green signed a free-agent contract with the Phoenix Suns on September 28, 1993. The Suns brought in the veteran forward to shore up the team's defense and rebounding, and Green performed as advertised. On a team that saw its top three scorers miss at least 15 games each, Green was one of only two Phoenix players to appear in all 82 contests, extending his streak of consecutive games played to 649, tops among active players. For the season, Green averaged 14.7 points and 9.2 rebounds in 34.5 minutes per game, shooting .502 from the floor. Phoenix advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals for the third straight season but lost to the eventual NBA champions, the Houston Rockets, in seven games. In 10 postseason contests Green averaged 12.5 points and 8.4 rebounds.

1992-1993 REGULAR SEASON
In Green's final season in Los Angeles he left behind a legacy of hard work and dedication to the game. Completing his eighth year in the league, he averaged 12.8 points and 8.7 rebounds. For the first time in seven seasons, Green did not lead the team in rebounding, ranking second to center Vlade Divac (8.9 rpg). However, he paced the team and ranked 11th in the NBA in field-goal percentage (.537). On March 24 against the Phoenix Suns, Green became the eighth player in Lakers history to collect 5,000 career rebounds. He pulled down 15-plus rebounds seven times, and scored 20-plus points 14 times. He played in all five playoff games versus Phoenix and averaged 9.8 points and 14.6 rebounds. Before Green's free-agent flight at the end of the year, he managed to compile a string of 567 consecutive regular-season appearances, the ninth-longest streak in league history. In his eight years in Lakers purple and gold, he averaged 11.3 points and 8.5 rebounds and shot .507 from the floor.

1991-1992 REGULAR SEASON
For the sixth time in his career, Green managed to appear in all 82 regular-season games. In fact, through the 1991-92 campaign he had appeared in a club-record 485 straight regular-season games and 574 consecutive games including the playoffs. Green's durability came in handy for the Lakers in 1991-92, when James Worthy's minutes dropped by 900 from the previous year, in part because of left knee surgery during the season. Green was also asked to play a larger role following Magic Johnson's shocking retirement announcement early in the season. Green turned in career-high averages of 13.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He paced the club in rebounding for a sixth straight year, ranking 16th in the NBA and equaling a Lakers record for the most consecutive seasons leading the team. Green also dished out a career-high 117 assists. On January 20 against the Seattle SuperSonics, Green grabbed the 4,000th rebound of his career. He recorded a club-leading 35 double-doubles and scored in double figures 65 times, including 25 of the club's final 26 games. In the postseason, the seven-year veteran averaged 12.8 points and a team-leading 9.0 rebounds as the Lakers fell to the Portland Trail Blazers in a four-game first-round series.

1990-1991 REGULAR SEASON
Adjusting to his new sixth-man role, Green still managed to contribute to the Lakers' NBA Finals charge. But with Los Angeles's loss to the Chicago Bulls in five games, a new era in NBA basketball began, and one of the brightest in league history ended. In all but one year since 1980, either the Lakers or the Boston Celtics had appeared in the NBA Finals. Green's diminished role on the 1990-91 Lakers team symbolized a changing of the guard. The six-year veteran shot a career-low .476 from the field and averaged 9.1 points and 6.3 rebounds, his lowest figures since his rookie season. With newly acquired Sam Perkins inserted into the starting lineup, Green's minutes plummeted to 26.4 per game. He contributed 6.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest in the postseason.

1989-1990 REGULAR SEASON
By the time he finished his fifth NBA season, Green had become one of the most respected power forwards in the NBA. He was rewarded when NBA fans voted him a starter in the 1990 NBA All-Star Game, the only All-Star appearance of his career. Green averaged 12.9 points and 8.7 rebounds in 1989-90, appearing in all 82 games for the third straight year. He led the Lakers in rebounding for the fourth consecutive season, the longest such streak since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar paced the club for six straight seasons, beginning in 1975-76. The Lakers aimed at a return to the NBA Finals but fell to the powerful Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Semifinals. Green averaged 11.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in nine postseason games.

1988-1989 REGULAR SEASON
Once again, Green proved his value to the Lakers as he set new career highs in scoring (13.3 ppg) and in rebounding (9.0 rpg). He led the team in rebounding for a third consecutive season, averaging the most boards by a Lakers player since Magic Johnson hauled down 9.6 rebounds per contest in 1981-82. Steadily gaining recognition as one of the premier defensive forwards in the league, Green was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team at season's end. One of the game's true iron men, Green played in all 82 contests for the second consecutive year and for the third time in his four seasons. In fact, through the 1993-94 season Green had missed only three games since his high school playing days. He increased his field-goal percentage to .529 and his free-throw shooting to .786. He recorded 30 double-doubles during the season and scored a career-high 33 points in a game against the Sonics at Seattle on April 4. Los Angeles advanced to its third consecutive NBA Finals, but the Lakers were no match for the Detroit Pistons. Isiah Thomas helped the Pistons engineer a four-game sweep of the defending world champions. Green averaged 10.1 points and 9.1 rebounds in 15 postseason games.

1987-1988 REGULAR SEASON
Green continued to improve in his third NBA season, averaging 11.4 points and a team-high 8.7 boards, the best rebounding output by a Laker since 1981-82. The only Lakers player to appear in all 82 games, Green shot .503 from the floor and .773 from the free-throw line. He rebounded in double figures 32 times during the year and led the team in rebounding on 40 occasions. On November 8 Green grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds against the Houston Rockets. The Lakers became the first NBA team since the 1969 Boston Celtics to repeat as world champions when they knocked off the Detroit Pistons in a grueling seven-game NBA Finals. Green started 18 of the Lakers' 24 playoff games and averaged 10.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in the postseason.

1986-1987 REGULAR SEASON
With the departure of team enforcer Maurice Lucas to the Seattle SuperSonics, Green quickly filled the power forward void on the Lakers' front line. He started 72 contests and recorded a team-high 7.8 rebounds per game in only his second NBA season. The additional playing time also benefited his scoring average as he nearly doubled his point production to 10.8 per game. Green shot .538 from the floor and .780 from the free-throw line. Green's improvement helped the Lakers collect their 10th NBA Championship. In the postseason he upped his regular-season numbers in scoring (11.5 ppg) and field-goal percentage (.546), while maintaining his 7.8 rebounding average. Los Angeles romped to the NBA Finals and defeated the Boston Celtics in six games.

1985-1986 REGULAR SEASON
When the defending NBA-champion Los Angeles Lakers drafted A. C. Green with the 23rd overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, they knew they were getting a top-shelf forward. After all, Green had concluded his collegiate career at Oregon State as the school's second-leading rebounder (880) and third-leading scorer (1,694). In fact, after his junior year in Corvallis he was named Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year. He led the Beavers in rebounding in each of his final three seasons. Green demonstrated promise during his inaugural NBA campaign. He became the first Lakers rookie to appear in every game since LeRoy Ellis in 1962-63. He ranked second on the club in offensive rebounds, with 160, only 4 fewer than team leader Maurice Lucas. For the season, he averaged 6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in only 18.8 minutes per game. He scored in double figures 23 times, rebounded in double figures 6 times, and led the club in rebounding 10 times.