Deseret News | Former BYU star Danny Ainge suffers heart attack

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Former BYU star Danny Ainge suffers heart attack

DH | 5:12 p.m. April 16, 2009

God Bless, Danny. Hope you recover quickly.

SoCalTrueBlue | 5:29 p.m. April 16, 2009

Ainge is the greatest BYU basketball player of all time. He's also a devoted husband and father and a good citizen. Many prayers for his full recovery.

Gary K | 5:44 p.m. April 16, 2009

Danny, Michelle our prayers are with you and your family.

Comments continue below

HS | 5:58 p.m. April 16, 2009

I agree, Danny Ainge is one of the best player to go through BYU in recent history and maybe all time. However, there have a lot of great players at BYU. "The KRESH", Andy Toolson, (I from Idaho so I have to include Toolson, Devin Durrant, several outstanding Finnish players, whose names escape me. In the 60' under Stan Watts, there is John Fairchild, Craig Raymond, Gary Hill, although he was never same after his knee. There were some gaurds durning that era also, but my memory fails when it comes to their names. Hopefully others will add to this list.

justme | 6:02 p.m. April 16, 2009

Our hearts and prayers go out to you Danny! I was at BYU during those great years, and you and the football and basketball teams helped make college much more fun

wYo8 | 6:53 p.m. April 16, 2009

Ainge and Kresimir Cosic are the two greatest players to play for BYU. The other players mentioned were stars in their days. But none compare to # 22 and # 11.

Hoosier4Life | 7:20 p.m. April 16, 2009

I wish Danny a quick recovery. I loved watching Danny play. He was one of the toughest competitors to ever play the game. God bless Danny!

Knute Rockne | 7:21 p.m. April 16, 2009

What about, Roland Minson and Mel Hutchins?

As a Utah fan | 7:37 p.m. April 16, 2009

I also wish Danny Aigne a great recovery.
Hope for all the best to him and his family.

SoCalUtahFan

Wrex | 7:58 p.m. April 16, 2009

I grew up as a Ute fan, but Danny Ainge was AWESOME!!!!!! I remember him completely taking over the NCAA Tournament game in 1981 (can't remember who the opponent was).

In any case, best wishes for a speedy recovery!!

Brettski | 8:11 p.m. April 16, 2009

Hope everything goes well for the Ainge family.

Go Utes!

he will be ok | 8:22 p.m. April 16, 2009

glad he knew those symptoms, gotta watch the stressors access the diet and he can make a good example to the rest of us. we need to take a cue and get our check ups also. what a great man and he lived his religion ...use to get a kick out of larry bird teasing him.

MEET IT BEAT IT | 8:36 p.m. April 16, 2009

The high stress world of winning in the NBA fades quickly when one consider ones health. I am sure Ainge will go after this setback the way he goes after everything else. Gifted, yet one of the most intense competitors ever to play for BYU. If a coach at BYU could put Danny Ainge's desire and grit into each player, the chance for success would go way up.

Good Luck with the recovery!

David P. | 8:43 p.m. April 16, 2009

God Bless Danny and his family!!

Let's All say a prayer for a speedy recovery...

InAZ | 9:40 p.m. April 16, 2009

Really enjoyed the years we (Phoenix Suns) had Danny.......tough player. He is in our prayers.

Played with Heart | 9:51 p.m. April 16, 2009

Danny Ainge always gave me a heart attack with his style of basketball, the guy was a legend!!! Hope he comes out of this ok.

Re: Wrex | 9:59 p.m. April 16, 2009

Believe you're talking about Notre Dame...

SoCalUtahFan

True Red | 10:23 p.m. April 16, 2009

To bad for a young guy....He is a tribute to the Cougs--have to say it even though a devout Ute fan...

Good luck with your recovery!!

Tom in CA | 11:37 p.m. April 16, 2009

Re: Wrex:

Yes indeed, it was the Notre Dame game. What a thrill it was to see Ainge split the two defenders at mid-court and finish with the score.

JB | 11:47 p.m. April 16, 2009

I was friends with Dan Ainge's father. The last time I saw him many years ago, we shot around some hoops and I showed him exactly every move his son made in that Notre Dame game. He thought I was a foot or two off on one part. We had a good laugh.

Brian | 1:44 a.m. April 17, 2009

It's a good thing that he's not the general manager for the Jazz or the last month would have probably been fatal!

geedub | 9:20 a.m. April 17, 2009

Didn't he also play baseball for the Blue Jays?

to Wrex and others | 10:34 a.m. April 17, 2009

Of course, the Notre Dame games was great with the end of the game driving layup. But the game he really dominated was the round before that against UCLA. UCLA was favored to win, and Danny had back spasms before the game that could have prevented him from playing. As I recall, he had muscle relaxers injected into his lower back, and went on to score 20 plus points in a 20 plus point blowout against a very good UCLA team. Fond memories...
Get well soon!

Best Wishes | 9:34 p.m. April 18, 2009

To Danny and hope he will have a quick recovery.

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