How Bree Purganan's resilience shaped Jalen Green's journey to the NBA

How Bree Purganan's resilience shaped Jalen Green's journey to the NBA

Bree Purganan is the mother of Jalen Green, the Phoenix Suns shooting guard. The rising star often credits his mother, Bree, for her resilience and dedication in raising him and his siblings.

Jalen Green and Bree Purganan pose together.
Jalen Green and his mother, Bree Purganan pictured together during his JG4 Manila Tour in his mother's hometown in Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Photo: @bree.purganan (modified by author)
Source: Facebook

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • Bree Purganan was born in Ilocos Sur, Luzon, Philippines, and later moved to the United States.
  • Bree is married to Marcus Green, a former basketball player. She has three children: Raquel, Jalen, and Jurnee Tyra.
  • She is a licensed nurse and has worked in various healthcare facilities, including Madera Community Hospital and Corizon Health, with a specialisation in mental health and emergency care.

Profile summary

Full name

Bree Mennette Purganan

Common name

Bree Purganan

Gender

Female

Year of birth

Undisclosed

Place of birth

Ilocos Sur, Luzon, Philippines

Place of residence

California, United States

Nationality

Filipina-American

Ethnicity

Asian

Religion

Christian

Height in centimetres

165

Height in feet

5'5"

Weight in kilograms

60

Weight in pounds

132

Eye colour

Brown

Hair colour

Black

Mother

Julia Durbin

Siblings

2

Marital status

Married

Partner

Marcus Green

Children

3

Profession

Nurse

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Bio of Bree Purganan, Jalen Green's mother

Bree Purganan is a Filipina-American nurse. Purganan became famous following her son's rise to stardom. However, unlike many celebrity parents, she has an active calling to nursing and philanthropy.

She actively offered support for her son, passionately defending him on occasion. In response to unpopular opinions about her son's background, she told Bleacher Report,

They don't know he has fought and practised and worked to be where he's at. It wasn't handed to him. We don't have the [money] to pay for [trainers].
Five facts about Bree Purganan
Top five facts about Filipino-American nurse Bree Purganan. Photo: @bree.purganan on Facebook (modified by author)
Source: Original

Similarly, the Sun's guard credited his mother for his career success in an interview with 24 Oras Weekend,

I got my work ethic from her, my mindset from her... since a young age, I felt like winning was everything.

Bree Purganan's early life and Filipina heritage

She was born and raised in Ilocos Sur Province, Philippines. Details of her precise age and date of birth are yet to be made public. Bree was born to Julia Durbin in a family of five. Her siblings are Josh Bass and Kristie Purganan Cannon.

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From student to nurse: Bree Purganan's career journey

Bree attended Merced Community College District, where she also played college basketball. She completed her associate degree in Nursing in 1999. In 2002, she completed her licensed vocational nursing certification (LVN) at Turlock Emanuel.

Celebrated as Jalen Green's motivation, Purganan is a professional nurse and businesswoman based in Fresno, California, USA. She is active in charity work, especially cancer awareness and research, through her organisation, Bree's Foundation for Cancer Research.

As of 2025, she is a mental health care nurse. She has also worked as a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) since 2016 in the emergency department of Madera Community Hospital. Between 2004 and 2015, she worked at various health facilities, including Provant, OccuVax, Corizon Health and the CDC.

Bree Purganan’s role as a wife and mother

Purganan was previously married to Steve Tucker and is currently married to Marcus Green, a former basketball player. There is little information about Bree and her current husband, with whom she has three children. The couple has not disclosed how they met or how long they have been married.

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Bree Purganan is a mother of three children. Raquel Purganan is her first child. Her second child is Jalen Green, who was born on 9 February 2002. The last-born daughter is called Jurnee Tyra.

FAQs

  1. Who is Jalen Green's mom? Jalen Green's mother is Bree Purganan
  2. What is Bree Purganan's age? Her age has yet to be disclosed
  3. What is Bree Purganan's nationality? She is of Filipino-American nationality.
  4. What percentage of Filipino is Jalen Green? Green is of partial Filipino descent through his mother, Bree Purganan.
  5. Who is Bree Purganan's husband? Bree's husband is Marcus Green, a former basketball player.
  6. Does Jalen Green have a sister? The NBA player has two sisters: Raquel Purganan and Jurnee Tyra.
  7. What certifications does Bree Purganan have? Bree Purganan holds an Associate's degree in Nursing from Merced College.

Bree Purganan is a Filipino-American nurse known for her commitment to healthcare and family. As the mother of Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green, she played a central role in his development through her resilience, work ethic, and unwavering support. Her nursing career spans over two decades, including work in mental health and emergency care.

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Legit.ng recently published an article on Drake's parents. Drake is a Canadian singer, rapper, and actor. He was born in October 1986 to Dennis Graham and Sandra Gayle Graham.

His parents have played a significant role in his life and career in the entertainment industry. Drake's parents, Dennis Graham and Sandra Gayle Graham, married in Toronto, Canada, in 1985. Explore lesser-known details about them in this article.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Ciku Njuguna avatar

Ciku Njuguna (Lifestyle writer) Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with more than four years of experience in writing and content creation while working with Legit.ng, Sports Brief and CyberSchool technologies. She has a BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics (2018) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Nairobi (2022). Ciku joined Legit.ng in 2024, covering lifestyle content. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques and participated in the Google News Initiative training program. Email: ciku.njuguna1@gmail.com

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