Before ever playing in the NBA, top prospect Jalen Green gives back to his hometown Fresno

Years before his worldwide fame was established and the riches that await from possibly becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft, Jalen Green was a young teen hooping it up at “The Cage” in northwest Fresno.

It’s where Green played countless pickup basketball games, with and against his friends, and sometimes versus strangers two or three times his age.

Green just wanted to ball.

And if an indoor gym wasn’t available, Green and his friends knew where to hoop to find good outdoor competition.

So in his first effort to make a difference in Fresno and the area that he grew up, Green chose to have Adidas refurbish the basketball court at Koligian Park.

The City of Fresno held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday with Green flying in from Los Angeles for the day to christen the court.

In Green fashion, the former San Joaquin Memorial High star broke in the rims by throwing down a one-handed windmill dunk.

“It means a lot to be able to provide for my community and give back to a place where I grew up and played basketball all the time,” Green said. “I thought it’d be cool to start there and put in a new court.

“I had a lot of fun playing basketball with my friends there. I hope other kids will have fun playing with their friends there.”

“The Cage” court was resurfaced with two different shades of blue on one side and two red variations on the other.

Two different three-point lines were etched on both halves of the court, too.

Featured at center court was “JG4,” standing for Jalen Green and his jersey No. 4.

“559” also was painted on each side of the court, as was the Adidas logo.

And just beyond the playing area, Green had a personal message painted: “To Fresno with love, from Jalen Green.”

“It just shows how much J loves Fresno,” said Justin Huelskamp, who is Green’s childhood friend and now personal manager. “Not many people get to his level where he’s from. J wants to represent Fresno well, and give back to his community.”

Added Memorial coach Brad Roznovsky: “J really is a 559 guy. He’s never forget where he’s from. And I believe he’ll be doing more stuff like this for Fresno in the future.”

Green starred three years at Memorial before transferring to Prolific Prep in Napa for his senior season. He did, however, end up returning to Fresno after the season and graduating at Memorial.

Green then bypassed college to turn pro and hone his skills further in the NBA’s developmental league.

In 19 games at the G-League, Green averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He also shot 46.1% from the field, including 36.5% behind the arc, and 82.9% from the free-throw line.

Green, a 6-foot-6, 186-pound shooting guard, is considered a consensus Top 5 pick in the NBA Draft. Some project Green will be the top pick overall and be selected by the Detroit Pistons.

Green, 19, grew up rooting for the Miami Heat as a big fan of Dwyane Wade. But Green said he has no preference which team selects him.

“The super big competitor in J makes him want to go No. 1,” Huelskamp said. “But he’s just humbled to be in this position to go in the first round. He just wants to be in the right fit.”

Regardless where Green goes, he hopes Fresno will cheer him on.

Green certainly is ready to represent Fresno in the league with “559” prominently tattooed on his left leg.

“This is where I was raised, where I grew up,” Green said of Fresno. “I learned a lot here. I met friends that I still have to this day. It means a lot.”

This story was originally published July 17, 2021 at 6:14 PM.