Heartstopper to Showstopper: Jeff Green's Championship return from the brink of death

After 16 years and 12 different teams, NBA veteran Jeff Green secured his first NBA title for the Denver Nuggets against the Miami Heat.

His veteran leadership and basketball IQ were crucial in Denver's five-game victory over Miami, showing the young guys different ways to unlock a defense.

Green went eight from nine in the finals, showcasing his ability to stay ready when the time comes and knocking down crucial shots.

Being an NBA champion and playing professional basketball was nearly seriously stopped in 2012 after Green underwent lifesaving heart surgery.

It's when life is nearly taken away from you that you start to appreciate everything that happens to you, and Green summed it up after securing his first title, saying: 'This is what you live for.'

Here's how NBA champion Jeff Green nearly had his life taken away from him.

Before the 2011-2012 season, Green had a physical routine with the Boston Celtics when the team doctor discovered something majorly wrong with his heart.

The Celtics suspended his one-year contract and set him up with Dr. Lars Svensson, one of the world's finest cardiac surgeons, the man attempting to fix his aortic aneurysm.

His surgery lasted for five hours at the Cleveland Clinic, with Green's heart-stopping for over an hour of the surgery.

Green's nine-inch scar has become a sense of pride, reminding him of how close he was to losing everything.

Since having his lifesaving surgery on January 9 th, 2012, Green now celebrates two birthdays, his original one on August 28^th and his revival birthday on January 9th.

According to sportsspectrum.com, Green said: "Every morning waking up and every night going to bed, I look at my scar. I tell the lord, 'Thank You' for the blessing that he's given me to keep living."

According to andscape.com, Green expressed: "I've been truly blessed to be able to step foot on this court, to play this game. Each day I give it my all, whether good or bad. I live with the results."

Green was an important member of the Denver team this year, averaging eight points in 20 minutes on the floor for the new NBA champions.

It's been some journey for Green, who came close to NBA stardom in 2018 with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing in the finals to the Golden State Warriors.

Green said: "To me, basketball is secondary. I had to really fight for my life. I almost died over this game."