Robb: Brad Stevens Rejoins Celtics After Visiting Ex-Butler Player Battling Cancer
BOSTON – Brad Stevens rejoined his team on Saturday and will coach the Celtics Sunday evening when they face off against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The third-year head coach missed Thursday's loss against the Chicago Bulls in order to be with his former Butler player Andrew Smith in Indiana, who is battling an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Stevens spent time with Smith, his wife Samantha and other friends and family on Thursday and Friday before returning to Chicago Saturday for the team's flight to Memphis. He also visited with Smith back in November while the Celtics were in town to face the Pacers.
Samantha Smith has posted recent Twitter updates asking for prayers for her ill husband and wrote a blog post update on Sunday that revealed doctors aren't sure how much time Smith has left.
"It's very tough," Stevens told reporters in Memphis of the situation via the Boston Herald. "It's not as tough on me as it is on them, but certainly emotionally very challenging. It certainly puts things in a lot of perspective."
The head coach also spoke about making the choice to miss Thursday's game to be with Smith.
"It was just the fact that the conditions were worsening," Stevens said of his decision to leave the Celtics. "I'll let them talk about his condition. But I'm glad that I went."
While Stevens' players and staff admired his decision to support his former player, they were happy to see him return to the fold and help guide a reeling roster that has dropped four of its last five games. With five games in seven days looming over the next week, the need to get back on track is pivotal.
"Me personally, I'm very, very happy he's back," Jae Crowder told MassLive at Saturday's practice. "Nothing against (assistant coach Jay Larranaga) but Brad is our leader. He helps us out a lot with Xs and Os and different situations. He gets the best out of us. So I'm happy he's back."
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter@CelticsHub.
