The Boston Celtics organization was hit with a bit of a scare Tuesday night when president of basketball operations Danny Ainge suffered a mild heart attack while in Milwaukee for the C’s second-round NBA playoff matchup against the Bucks.
Ainge’s sons on Thursday posted to social media to show gratitude for the overflow of support from fans, media and colleagues of their father. And after practice Thursday, Celtics players had a chance to send their well-wishes Ainge’s way, while also voicing their appreciation for the time and effort he has put into many of their careers.
“Danny is just one of those guys who takes time out of his life, his day, when he’s doing his schedule to make sure you’re all right,” said Marcus Smart via The Athletic’s Jay King. “He constantly checks in on us, my family, and things like that. Just personally for me, he’s been another mentor for me. From when I first got here Danny was the person I see every day and am talking to, so he means a lot to my life as well. I just hope he has a speedy recovery.”
Terry Rozier said he hopes to reach out to Ainge soon, and said the two always have had a “special” relationship.
“I’m pretty sure he’ll be all right,” Rozier said. “I heard the first couple of days when you get something like this, it’s the worst. He already passed that so all we can do is just pray, reach out to him and hopefully he’ll have a speedy recovery. I know he’ll be fine.
“He believed in me,” Rozier added. “He’s the one who changed my life. I told him he changed my life. So he’s always going to be special to me no matter what happens down the road.”
It’s undeniable the impact Ainge has had on the franchise and the players is massive. And with the Celtics in the midst of a playoff run, it’s to say that Ainge will be on the Celtics’ mind as they get set to take on the Bucks in Game 3 at TD Garden on Friday.
