By CHARLIE PARENT
Khalid Green has been around New York City basketball for nearly three decades.
From scouting for the Brooklyn Nets, building community organizations like Brooklyn Bridge Basketball, Inc., or teaching at Long Island University, Green has done it all in the metro area.
Over the past two years, Green served as the Director of New Heights Youth Basketball, a community effort and AAU program that plays the highest competition, including Nike’s heralded Peach Jam.
Now, Green has made the step to a national stage: Overtime Elite.
“I’m a Brooklyn guy, I’m a New York guy,” he told ZAGSBLOG in an exclusive interview. “But Atlanta has a lot to offer, and OTE has just as much to offer, so I think it will be a good fit.”
“I’m excited about the whole experience,” he continued. “It’s been a great month, and it feels like family, which is important to me.”
Green is set to lead Overtime’s high school efforts as the Grassroots Program Manager, bringing an extensive network and passion for the game.
“I’m going to be bringing a strong network,” he said. “The passion that I have for the game and for working with youth will definitely be observed by many.”
He will focus on both player development and recruiting players to OTE, while trying to cultivate the broader world of grassroots basketball.
From a recruiting standpoint, Green will actively be recruiting across the country and in New York.
His familiarity with Atlanta may be foreign from an outsider’s perspective, but the Morehouse College alumni is confident in his abilities to pitch recruits to the city.
“I definitely have familiarity with Atlanta from college,” Green said. “I still have some people that I’m very close to in that city, and the city is beautiful. So, it’s not as foreign to me to pitch kids to go to Atlanta.”
“I want to recruit,” he added. “I’m going to be helping them recruit some of the top players from around the country, including from my home state.”
Overtime Elite has nine players coming out of their class of 2024, including top-40 players Kartern Knox (No. 13 overall), Kanon Catchings, John Bol and Jaden Mustaf. Bryson Tiller — the No. 6 overall junior — is among five players in the program’s class of 2025.
Green discussed the appeals of OTE, highlighting the considerable amount of facilities and resources.
“OTE is very comparable an NBA facility,” he said. “There are two practice courts, a main court, a full-time sports psychologist, a full-time nutritionist and a 4-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio. All of those things are huge for kids.”
“Anybody that takes a visit will be blown away,” he concluded. “I compare it to being in a Honda Accord to being in a Bentley.”
Finally, even with the move, Green doesn’t intent to stray far from his NYC roots.
“I’m always gonna be part of New Heights,” he said. “I have so many relationships with them.”
“Just because I went to OTE doesn’t mean that my relationships at other organizations have dissolved,” he concluded. “And, I’m going to continue to nurture those relationships.”
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