HOUSTON – The Rockets are bringing back hometown hero Gerald Green on a one-year, veterans minimum deal worth $2.4 million, according to various media reports.
Green, 32, was famously out of pro basketball last season when the Rockets signed him midway through the year.
He immediately became a key part of head coach Mike D'Antoni's rotation, especially with his three-point shooting and instant offense off the bench.
Green averaged 12.1 points in 22.7 minutes off the bench last season, appearing in 41 regular season games and all 17 of the Rockets' playoff contests.
Green, who was born and raised in Houston, is immensely popular among both his Rockets teammates and fans -- not just for his outgoing personality, but for his unabashed love for his hometown. He sports both "Houston" and "I-45" tattoos, and frequently braids his hair in the shape of the Rockets logo.
He would also regularly wear throwback jerseys of classic Houston teams to games -- from the Rockets, to the Astros, and even the Oilers.