If you follow Twitter as closely as I do and you like the Boston Celtics, I'm sure you had a similar feeling like I did this past week as the news about forward Jeff Green became more and more vague.
As he was held out of more practices and scrimmages, you had to know something very serious was up to sideline one of their top younger players not to mention the key to their bench this season. I also thought he was poised for a breakout season after struggling so badly after coming over from Oklahoma City last season in the ill-fated Kendick Perkins trade.
Today, the team announced that Green has an aortic aneurysm and he'll miss the entire 2011-12 season after he has heart surgery on January 9, 2012.
This is no time to make cheap jokes since the Celtics are the same franchise that suffered through the tragic death of Reggie Lewis in the 1990s. As the situation with Green dragged on, I had a bad feeling that he either had a disease or some heart condition that they had just found out about.
The good news is that he reportedly should be able to resume his career in the 2012-13 season. Fellow NBA players Etan Thomas and Ronny Turiaf both resumed their careers the next season after open-heart surgery.
Boston recently signed him to a one-year, $9 million deal so they'll obviously try to get out of that by consulting the NBA. I've already read that it will be voided since he didn't pass a team physical during training camp.
"While we are saddened that Jeff will not be able to play this season, the most important thing is his health, and we were fortunate to have access to an amazing team of specialists to evaluate Jeff's case," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. "The entire Celtics family supports Jeff during this difficult time in his career."
At $77 million even without Green, the Celts will only be able to offer veteran's minimum contracts to possible replacements to Green, no exceptions left. The scariest aspect is that Marquis Daniels and Sasha Pavlovic are now the primary backups for Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
The preseason kicks off tomorrow vs. Toronto and the regular season beginning on Christmas-a week from tomorrow at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks.
I think I speak for everyone when I say get well soon Jeff. There are many things more important than basketball, hope you can have a normal life very soon.
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