Move over Tony Stark. Someone else holds the title to the name “Iron Man” and he was A.C. Green. A legend well-known to Lakers fans.
When I think of players that were tough, durable, classy, and smart, A.C. Green always comes to mind. He was a one-of-a-kind type of player that brought a lot with him when he came to the Los Angeles Lakers.
There was a certain edge that he brought with him as well as a bit of mental toughness with a warrior-type physicality. Something else also came with Green as well. A deep spiritual belief in Jesus Christ which heavily impacted his life.
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He was a first-round pick from Oregon State in 1985, standing at six feet nine inches and weighing 225 pounds, Green was a strong player with great athletic ability. Green was a great rebounder and he ran the floor wonderfully.
He had the heart of a lion and always played with a purpose as he was one of the missing pieces that the Lakers needed. I often feel that every team needs someone like Green; a player that is a bit of an enforcer or a force to be reckoned with.
Green was part of three NBA Championship teams in 1987,1988, and 2000. A.C. was also a very good defensive player who was named to the 1988-89 All-Defensive team. He also led the Lakers in rebounding for many years.
He didn’t get the nickname “Iron Man” for nothing. Green had a streak of consecutive game played that spanned from 1986-2001 when he retired. He only missed three games in his entire playing career. Players like this hardly exist anymore as we see so many who unfortunately miss various games because of injury or other reasons.
His devout religious beliefs are something that I have always had the utmost respect for and found the most interesting. After all, being a high-profile player playing in the NBA brings with it a whole other element that none of us can understand. I find it amazing, and interesting how much he was inspired by his faith and how he not only preached it but lived it.
Yes, it is a rather rare thing to happen in sports as well as in the world that we live in today. I feel that stories such as his when it comes to his personal life which he was brave enough to share are something that we need to hear more of.
A lot of what we hear are stories that have somewhat unfortunate endings that may or may not cost some their careers as well as impact the lives of others negatively.
A.C. has done a lot of humanitarian work where he has gone around speaking to younger athletes and talked about his career and the challenges he faced when it came to his spiritual beliefs. Green also talks about how he was able to maintain a strict schedule when it comes time to pray and go to religious services as well as making time for practice with basketball.
Green took care of himself physically all through his career and continued too long after he played. During his career, Green abstained from alcohol, drugs, and smoking.
I give him a ton of credit for living for his faith. He is someone that we can learn a lot from in terms of many different aspects. There is no doubt that Green was a diamond in the rough and a one-of-a-kind type of player and human being.
A gladiator type of player who never gave up and always kept on going. I sure do wish there were more athletes like him. You have to love him!