Top Fil-Am hoopster to skip college, signs up with NBA

Jalen Green’s mother, Bree Purganan, is a nurse who hails from Ilocos Sur. AP PHOTO

Filipino American Jalen Green, widely considered among the top high school basketball prospects in the US, is skipping college to sign up with a new program in the National Basketball League’s G League.

Green, who was senior at Prolific Prep in Napa, California, announced Thursday that he’s going straight to the pros via an NBA professional development program that gives new opportunities for elite high school seniors.

“I wanted to get better, and develop, a more better game, I want to work on my craft, get stronger like that so I can be more ready for the NBA, this is the best route to prepare myself,” said Green.

College teams provide scholarships but not monetary compensations. By comparison, the G League will pay top players like Green $500,000-plus and set them up in a one-year development program outside the typical minor-league structure, according to ESPN. He would also be eligible to earn money with product endorsements and still get a college scholarship if he chooses to continue his education.

Green, whose mother, Bree Purganan, is a nurse from Ilocos Sur in the Philippines, was ranked No. 1 by ESPN and No. 3 by the Rivals Scouting Report. He was also named to the 2020 McDonald’s All-American and a member of the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team.

He has reaped gold medals from FIBA youth World Cups in the Under-19, Under-17 and Under-16 tournaments and was MVP in the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup in Argentina.