About 14 months ago, Celtics forward Jeff Green wasn’t sure he’d live, let alone play professional basketball again because of a rare heart condition.
The Celtics played the Cavaliers in Cleveland last night, and for Green it was a semi-homecoming considering how much time he spent at the Cleveland Clinic.
Last night Green hit a buzzer beating lay-up, to give the Celtics a 93-92 road win, and immediately embraced the man who save his life and his career, Dr. Lars Svensson.
Svensson performed heart surgery on Green over a year ago, and last night Green dedicated the game to Dr. Lars according to the Boston Herald.
“He said ‘Great game,’ and he’s proud of me,” said Green. “Just a year ago and a couple of months I was under that bright light, with him working on me. . . . It’s a blessing to be here. He’s paying attention to what I’m doing. That was for him, then. That was for Dr. Svensson.
“He did a terrific job to get me back to where I am now,” he said. “I owe a whole lot to him and the Cleveland Clinic. They welcomed me with open arms and I owe them for that. To have a game like this here, in front of my doctor, I think made him proud.
“I’m thankful, man, to have him and the way he performed the procedure. I’m lucky to be back on the court, and I owe it all to him. I’m just blessed and thankful.”
Kudos to Jeff Green and Dr. Lars Svensson.