Jalen Green is the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and he's headed to the Houston Rockets. He now joins Jordan Clarkson as the other Fil-Am player in the NBA. Green is coming to the Rockets as the projected top two-guard of his class as he averaged 17.9 points on 46 percent shooting from the field in 15 games in the G-League — becoming the first prospect drafted from the Ignite. As a G-League star, he's going to have a promising rookie season.
The Rockets' backcourt will now consists of an explosive pair with their top draft pick, Kevin Porter Jr and Jalen Green. A versatile guard who can score both inside and out, Jalen has the potential to become an elite scorer in the league. His mother Bree Purganan is from Ilocos Sur and his maternal grandfather is a full-blooded Filipino. Jalen's first visit to the Philippines was during the 2018 NBTC tournament, where he played for the FilAm Sports USA team and then returned again in 2019.
"I know for myself how big that is and how much I’m representing the Philippines..."
JALEN GREEN on REPRESENTING THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY
In 2020, despite receiving offers to play for the Auburn Tigers and the Memphis Tigers in the US NCAA, Green opted to turn pro and joined the NBA G League Ignite – a team for elite NBA draft prospects. Green cited that the biggest benefit for him joining the G League is to experience the NBA style of play ahead of the college players. Now the hard work pays off as he enters the league as the No. 2 Draft Pick.
Cover Photo Credit: Houston Rockets Facebook
