Jalen Green's mom thankful son stays in touch with Filipino roots
MANILA, Philippines — Jalen Green's Filipino mother shared her joy in seeing his son link up with his Philippine heritage in the JG4 Manila Tour with adidas this week.
Bree Purganan, who traces her roots to Ilocos Sur, said she took pride in the Houston Rockets guard continuing to recognize his identity as a Filipino.
"It feels amazing. For him to come back, the love that he gets from here is beyond amazing. Like we can't be more thankful of how we're treated here," Purganan told Philstar.com and SPIN.ph in an interview.
"I mean, to come back, is just, we're so grateful," she added. She accompanied Green along with her younger daughter Jurnee, Jalen's sister.
Green is only the third player in the NBA to have Filipino roots — joining Jordan Clarkson and Raymond Townsend.
While Green feels the support of Filipinos even in the US, with activities organized by the NBA like Filipino Heritage Night, Purganan said being able to help Green recognize his culture in person here in Manila makes it a whole different story.
"It makes me feel proud for him to carry on and then be able to understand and recognize where he comes from, his heritage," she said.
"You know, my grandfather is from here. And so, for him to recognize that and to be able to come back and then, it just feels great for him to be able to do all of this," she continued.
Green is expected to stay here in the Philippines for a couple more days before flying back to the US in preparation for the 2022-23 NBA season.
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