# OT: Gerald Green's missing finger



## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

According to pictures posted at RealGM, Gerald Green is missing a finger on his right hand, which is his shooting hand. How this ever went unreported prior to the draft is amazing. 

It obviously doesn't hamper his shooting (he hit a bunch of 3-pointers in the McDonald's All-America Game), but this is pretty amazing stuff, anyway. My hat's off to Gerald for overcoming this and not letting it hold him back.

Anyone think this had something to do with Portland (and most other teams) passing on the kid? Or why he refused to do individual workouts?

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=409078


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## B_&_B (Feb 19, 2004)

I too find it crazy that this was never reported during all the draft hype. It obviously isnt an issue for him, the kid can shoot and dunk.


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## sa1177 (Feb 18, 2005)

Crazy find Talkhard...think I got the explanation.

http://www.justbball.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39402


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## cpt.napalm (Feb 23, 2005)

I remember hearing something about it on one of the draft sites prior to the draft, but that it didn't effect his game. It is only like 1/2 of it that is gone if I recall correctly. I even want to say that Nash made a comment about it on CSMN.


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## Stallion (Apr 23, 2003)

I heard about it just before the draft and was surprised it wasn't presented as a larger issue. I think he has shown it does not hamper his ability though, I still like him a lot as a prospect.


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## SheedSoNasty (Dec 31, 2002)

sa1177 said:


> Crazy find Talkhard...think I got the explanation.
> 
> http://www.justbball.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39402


Looking at that site, I'm glad we don't have a lot of posters who use banners in their signatures. Annoying.


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## Blazer Freak (Jul 11, 2004)

Yeah, it's only 1/2 of the finger is gone. And I do remember Nash saying it the first CSMN after the draft. That could have been another reason he had slipped down so far, people thought.


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## Perfection (May 10, 2004)

Crazy...never knew. You'd think that that would be mentioned somewhere...like even his bio.


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## Stallion (Apr 23, 2003)

I remember on draft night, I was trying to see his right hand but he always kept it covered or in a fist or something. It's obvious to me he's used to concealing it.


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## Nightfly (Sep 24, 2002)

Talkhard said:


> According to pictures posted at RealGM, Gerald Green is missing a finger on his right hand, which is his shooting hand. How this ever went unreported prior to the draft is amazing.
> 
> It obviously doesn't hamper his shooting (he hit a bunch of 3-pointers in the McDonald's All-America Game), but this is pretty amazing stuff, anyway. My hat's off to Gerald for overcoming this and not letting it hold him back.
> 
> ...


Very interesting. Thanks for the find Talkhard.


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## Backboard Cam (Apr 29, 2003)

Wow, I never heard about that. Shouldn't be too long before people start calling him "*** *******."


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## ProudBFan (Apr 29, 2003)

I think he's kinda lucky it was his ring finger (of course it was his ring finger, it was his RING that got caught on the hoop!). Anyway, I think losing any of his other fingers would have impacted his game more. Thumb, index, middle, pinky - I think they all get used more in the mechanics of dribbling, passing, shooting, catching the ball than the ring-finger does.

Then again, that may explain why I'm such a terrible shot...



PBF
PS: My step-dad cut off his left index finger on a table-saw when I was in high-school. Didn't seem to affect his ability to drink beer all that much.


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## stupendous (Feb 17, 2003)

Backboard Cam said:


> Shouldn't be too long before people start calling him "The Shocker."


That might be the funniest thing I have heard all day. 

I wouldn't be surprised if 75% of this board didnt know what that was though!
:cheers:


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## BlazerFanFoLife (Jul 17, 2003)

everyone knows what a shocker is lol


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

> I wouldn't be surprised if 75% of this board didnt know what that was though!


So . . . what is it?


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

seriously guys, we're adults here. Let's not take this thread further into the gutter than it already is. Any references, links, or pictures of "the shocker" will be deleted, and you will be suspended.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

As long as they don't call him Frodo


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## Scout226 (Sep 17, 2003)

Hap said:


> seriously guys, we're adults here. Let's not take this thread further into the gutter than it already is. Any references, links, or pictures of "the shocker" will be deleted, and you will be suspended.



hmm.. The term flew over my head just like it did with TH. I'm guessing it's due to my age. After long research, I found out I was right.


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## HOWIE (Dec 30, 2002)

Interesting thread. 

I never heard about it till I read this thread and to think that this is on his shooting hand? I can't believe that this was never talked about before the draft.....all we were hung up on was wether John Nash had made a mistake for not taking Green instead of Webster. This does shed some new light on to why he may have slipped to Boston in the draft.


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## MARIS61 (Apr 28, 2003)

Thank goodness it's only his ring finger.

He'll still have all the opportunities that Bonzi had. :biggrin:


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## STOMP (Jan 1, 2003)

ProudBFan said:


> I think he's kinda lucky it was his ring finger (of course it was his ring finger, it was his RING that got caught on the hoop!). Anyway, I think losing any of his other fingers would have impacted his game more. Thumb, index, middle, pinky - I think they all get used more in the mechanics of dribbling, passing, shooting, catching the ball than the ring-finger does.


I think you're probably right about the ring finger being the least important... as opposed to the thumb, index, and middle, it shares a tendon with the pinky giving it less dexterity/control. The pinky is more important to shooting and general ball control because it's a bookend. From personal experience I've jammed each finger many times over the years, and the ring finger has given me the least issues. IMO it's sort of just along for the ride.

STOMP


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## dkap (May 13, 2003)

The ring finger and thumb are probably the two most used/important for me, but that's because I have a really unorthodox shot -- simiilar to Hakeem and seemingly the whole Chinese team's perimeter crew...

Dan


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## SheedSoNasty (Dec 31, 2002)

ProudBFan said:


> PS: My step-dad cut off his left index finger on a table-saw when I was in high-school. Didn't seem to affect his ability to drink beer all that much.


That's hilarious right there! :rofl:

My one serious injury has been basketball related.

My freshman year of high school I was somehow able to grab a 10 foot hoop and even dunk a softball. Haven't been close ever since. Anyway, some of my buddies and I decided to skip out on shop class (of all classes) because we had a substitue teacher and play some ball at the outdoor court just outside of the classroom. Point being, I tried to grab the rim and ended up grabbing the chain net and slicing my middle finger to the bone. Didn't feel any pain but I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off after seeing all that blood.


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## barfo (Jan 2, 2003)

Scout226 said:


> hmm.. The term flew over my head just like it did with TH. I'm guessing it's due to my age. After long research, I found out I was right.


Heh. I too am too old to have ever heard this term... why, back in my day, we - oh never mind. 

Well, you can teach an old dog a new name for an old trick, I guess.

barfo


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## vadimivich (Mar 29, 2004)

Wichita State's nickname is the "Shockers" ... you can imagine what you see at one of their basketball games these days.


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## BlazerFanFoLife (Jul 17, 2003)

its true i pulled a gerald green press pack card and hes dunking and only has 4 fingers


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