Jeff Green ‘Relieved’ NBA Career Can Resume Following Heart Surgery

Jeff Green’s season may be done after the discovery of an aortic aneurysm, but doctors have assured him that he can resume his NBA basketball career after he undergoes surgery, for which he’s very thankful. From the Boston Globe: “The forward, who talked to reporters for the first time since his diagnosis, will have surgery Jan. 9, and doctors have told him he can resume his career next season. Green’s contract was voided by the Celtics, but he will remain a restricted free agent, meaning the Celtics will have the right to match any offer from another club. Green has been around the team since his diagnosis and said it has been therapeutic. ‘I’m very relieved, because I can play basketball again,’ he said before the Celtics lost to the Heat, 115-107, last night at American Airlines Arena. ‘It’s a blessing that it was found because you never know what could happen.’ Green jokes with the players, takes shots before practices, and has a stall in the locker room. ‘It’s like therapy, man,’ he said. ‘Being around the team really helps me relax. It takes my mind off of it because I don’t want to be sitting around in the house thinking about the whole thing. You can go crazy doing that.’ Several NBA players have undergone aortic surgery and returned to play, such as free agent center Etan Thomas, Wizards center Ronny Turiaf, and Fred Hoiberg, now the Iowa State coach.”