Danny Ainge 'Back At It' Just A Few Weeks After Heart Attack
BOSTON (CBS) -- If you were worried that Danny Ainge would not be calling the shots for the Celtics in this extremely important offseason, worry no more. Roughly three weeks after he suffered a heart attack while in Milwaukee, the Celtics president of basketball ops. is not only doing well, he's also already back to work.
"He's back at it," Austin Ainge, Danny's son and Boston's director of player personnel, told The Boston Globe. "He's doing great. He's been texting me 100 times a day. He loves his job, and he wants to continue doing it."
Ainge was back in Boston a few days after suffering a heart attack on April 28 in Milwaukee. It's the second heart attack that Ainge has suffered, which led many to wonder if he'd be able to take on the arduous task of navigating the Celtics through what should be a busy offseason. The Celtics' crowded to-do list features Kyrie Irving's impending free agency, potentially reworking Al Horford's contract, three first-round draft picks and, as always, the potential for a blockbuster trade.
That is a lot to handle for any executive, let alone a 60-year-old coming off a heart attack just a few weeks ago. But Austin said his father has been given clearance to tackle his duties, and Ainge isn't going to miss one of the most important summers of his run as the man in charge of the Celtics.
"We had all those discussions, but the doctors say he's healthy and doing great, and he loves it," said Austin, adding that doctors found and fixed the issue with his dad's ticker. "He loves it."
Ainge has not been cleared to travel, but Boston shouldn't have any issues getting potential draft picks into the new Auerbach Center for pre-draft workouts. Ainge has already attended several such workouts, and also took part in exit interviews after Boston's season came to a premature end in the East semis.
And if you're worried that Ainge won't be his usual aggressive self this offseason, fret no more.
"Pretty much life back to normal. It didn't take him long to turn into 60-year-old Dennis the Menace again," said Austin.
It sounds like the Celtics are in good hands this offseason. The 2019 NBA Draft will take place on June 20, while NBA free agency starts on July 1 at midnight.