BOSTON -- Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox still remember the helpless feeling.
Last season, both players were told they needed season-ending heart surgeries. A year later, they understood what their teammate Rajon Rondo was going through on Sunday when he found out he had to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn right ACL.
"It's terrible," Wilcox said following the Celtics double-overtime win against the Miami Heat. "That's when you feel at your worst, like you know you're letting your team down.It's crazy because he was going to play tonight. Just like with me, go get a checkup and you're out for the year."
Green underwent surgery last January, Wilcox in March. They fought through the challenges of being on the outside looking in, all the while wanting to help their team on the court.
"Just be patient, that's the biggest thing," Green said. "Especially with his injury -- my injury is actually easier to come back from. The doctor said that, my injury is a lot easier to come back from. He's a competitive person, he loves playing basketball, he'll want to come back, but he's just got to be patient."
The date for Rondo's surgery has yet to be set. Wilcox was so nervous in the two weeks leading up to his operation that he began losing his appetite. He hopes Rondo will view the surgery as the beginning of his road to recovery.
"Expect the worst to get the best," said Wilcox. "That's how it's been with me. When I went into the surgery, I thought expect the worst and when you come out of that, every day is going to be a recovery day. I know once I had the surgery, every day after that was positive. That's the toughest thing -- there's going to be stuff that you can't do, stuff that you want to do and it's not going to let you."
Boston Celtics
Once Green and Wilcox were cleared to travel, they flew to Boston to watch the Celtics playoff games at the TD Garden. The pair sat courtside and also spent time in the locker room to support their teammates.
They understand the level of frustration Rondo could feel, especially given his role as the team's floor general, but it will also be a chance for him to take a step back and look at the game from a distance.
"You see things you can do to help this team," said Green. "I know with his basketball IQ, he's going to see a lot of things, a lot of plays, things that he can improve on if he was on the court. It's going to be tough for him to sit out and watch, that'll probably be the biggest thing."
Wilcox considers Rondo "like a brother" and will encourage him to stay positive and focused so he can return "even stronger and even better."
Green is confident the point guard will be able to do it.
"Oh he's going to come back even stronger," he said. "I already know it."