Saying that the heart attack Boston Celtics president and general manager Danny Ainge would suffer early on Thursday afternoon was “more important than any game [the Celtics have] played,” Celtics second-year forward Jayson Tatum was clearly perturbed by the news that Boston’s patriarchal figure had a serious healthcare.
Ainge was responsible for drafting Tatum in 2017 with the third overall pick in the draft.
Though the heart attack was classified as mild and Ainge is expected to make a full recovery, no heart attack can be considered minor. This is especially true for a 60-year-old man.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has been in “constant communication” with Ainge’s family and says the former All-Star is “resting well and feels better.” Stevens would add that Ainge suffered the heart attack before Game 2.
Meaning that the players heard about it nearly 48 hours after it happened.
No details have come out regarding the cause of Ainge’s heart attack and there is a wide array of risk factors that make it difficult to pinpoint any one, or even multiple, without more information. Information that may be kept private as it’s medical, although Ainge is a fairly candid individual.
One of the league’s most well-respected front office executives, Celtics Nation and the NBA community certainly wish Ainge the best. There’s been no timeline given for his recovery.
