Danny Ainge suffered a ‘mild heart attack’ in Milwaukee, expected to make full recovery
"He will return to Boston shortly," the team said in a statement Thursday.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is recovering from a mild heart attack, the team announced in a statement Thursday.According to coach Brad Stevens, Ainge suffered the heart attack before Game 2 in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Stevens said he found out before the game, while players were informed in a meeting Thursday morning before practice at the Auerbach Center in Brighton.“I’ve been in constant communication with his family,” Stevens told reporters Thursday. “He’s resting well and feels better.“Ainge, 60, received “immediate medical attention” and is expected to make “a full recovery,” per the team. He was expected to return to Boston “shortly,” the statement said. Game 3 between the Celtics and Bucks is at 8 p.m. Friday night at TD Garden, with the series tied 1-1.
Danny Ainge suffered a mild heart attack in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. He received immediate medical attention and is expected to make a full recovery. He will return to Boston shortly. Further updates will be provided as appropriate.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 2, 2019
“This is much bigger than basketball,” Stevens said. “Game 3’s Game 3. Obviously, you always want to play your best at this time of year. Obviously, [Danny] really cares about the result. We all really care about the result. But this is a game. That’s what it is.”
Stevens said his thoughts are with Ainge’s wife, Michelle, and their six children, who he said all seem to be doing well. Ainge previously suffered a heart attack in 2009.
“To me, he’s a friend,” Stevens said. “The family has been so good to us, so you don’t even think about anything else. You just want him to be comfortable and feeling great and getting better with a good prognosis. All that’s the case.”
Celtics players Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart expressed a similar sentiment after practice Thursday morning. Neither had spoken to Ainge, but both said they intended to reach out.
“That’s a very serious matter,” Tatum said. “What he’s going through is more important than any game that we’ve played.”
“We’re just waiting and hoping for a speedy recovery from Danny,” echoed Smart, who said Ainge has been a “mentor” to him since he was drafted by the organization in 2014. “You hate to see that, and you hate to hear about it.”
