Celtics’ Brad Stevens misses game to visit former player with cancer

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens will miss Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bulls to visit a former player battling cancer.

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens missed Thursday’s game at the Chicago Bulls to visit a former player battling cancer, the team announced. 

Andrew Smith, who played for Stevens at Butler from 2009–13, was readmitted to the hospital Wednesday. He has been fighting the disease for the last two years.

Stevens flew to Indiana to see Smith at the hospital.

Smith’s family announced the downturn in his condition on social media Wednesday. His wife posted a message asking for prayer on Facebook and Twitter:

“Please pray. Pray so very hard. We need a miracle & Andrew asked me to have you all rally with us in prayer in this moment.”

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Smith was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in January 2014.