More reasons to root for Marquis

by **NYCelt** Mon Dec 19, 2011 3:15 pm

As fans we all respect grit, determination and character.

We know what happened to Marquis Daniels last year, and hope he's part of the depth answer now. The following from Boston's WEEI gives us even more reasons to root for Marquis and hope he has the banner year we're seeking from him.

From WEEI via HoopsHype.com

Throughout his career, Marquis Daniels has been no stranger to pain. When he was 11 years old, the Celtics forward’s older cousins branded his No. 4 on his arm. It hurt. A lot. And that was just the beginning. From birth, whenever he did so much as put his head down and raise it back up, a stinger shot down his arm. The 30-year-old Daniels didn’t realize his narrowed spinal canal caused the issue until reaching the NBA eight years ago. And he didn’t know the severity of his medical condition until this past February, when he bumped into Magic guard Gilbert Arenas, dropped to the parquet floor and lay motionless for what seemed like an eternity. “To be honest, I barely touched him,” said Daniels. “The scariest part was just lying there and not being able to move for that time I was down on the floor. That was pretty scary. I could talk. I just couldn’t move. I was like, ‘This isn’t happening. I gotta get up. I can’t raise my kids like this.’ Just to be here standing and walking and talking to you guys now just lets you know that it’s more than just basketball, I don’t take anything for granted now.”

That’s why this time around in Boston is different for Daniels. Not just because he’s donning his third Celtics jersey number in as many seasons. For the first time in a long time, he can just play basketball — pain (and worry) free — like that 11-year-old kid who got the same number branded on his arm. “It’s a second chance at more than just basketball. I can say at life,” said Daniels, who scored 11 points in both Friday’s scrimmage and Sunday’s preseason game. “It could have went either way. I could have been rolling in here instead of walking and talking to you guys, so I’m blessed to be where I’m at right now.”

Daniels asked his doctor “a million times” if they were sure he was healthy enough to play again, and the doctor reassured him each time, “I’m positive that there’s a slim chance of that ever happening again.” If Daniels needed any more convincing, a headbutt he suffered during a pickup game at Auburn University did just that. “I was bleeding, but I was like, ‘Well, my neck’s Ok,’” he said, adding, “It feels a lot better. I’m not limited or anything. I don’t worry about getting hit, so I just go out there and play my game. I’m a hockey player, so I’ll be all right. It takes a lot to take me out.” WEEI.com

by **bobheckler** Mon Dec 19, 2011 3:23 pm

And Q wears #4 now. Embracing the pain and making it work for him.

He plays hockey? A 6'6", dreadlocked black man on skates?

That must be something to behold.

bob

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by **Outside** Mon Dec 19, 2011 5:04 pm

I'm glad the doctors told him he's okay and that he experienced no problems after the head butt, but I still worry about his condition and whether it's worth playing. I hope, above all, that he stays injury-free.

by **gyso** Tue Dec 20, 2011 6:45 am

Here's a link to the above article:

http://greenstreet.weei.com/sports/boston/basketball/celtics/2011/12/19/how-and-why-marquis-daniels-returned-to-celtics/

Here's some more of it:

Whether or not Daniels would resume playing basketball may have been up for debate, but there was never a question where he would play should he ever return to the court. “This was definitely my first option here,” said Daniels. “It’s a great tradition here, great team support.”

Getting healthy enough to return to the Celtics was a whole different story. It took six weeks after the surgery before he could resume working out and another few months before he shot a basketball again.

“My first workout was brutal,” said Daniels. “I almost was like, ‘You know what? I don’t want to play anymore. This is it.’ I felt like I was having a panic attack. I was overheating. I had to put icepacks all over me to calm down. The surgery, the way I had it, it affected my breathing, so I had to catch my breath. Now, I’m fine.”

Once again, Daniels fought through the pain, resuming basketball in late August and even participating in a few exhibition games during the fall, including Rondo’s Boston Charity Classic at Harvard University in November.

“I think [the NBA lockout] was a blessing in disguise for me,” he said. “If we had started on time, I probably would still be rehabbing and trying to get myself back ready, but I had some extra time to get ready and be prepared.”

Who knows where he would be if there was a normal off-season? Would Danny have saved a spot for him and allowed Q to get the extra time he needed? I count this as one silver lining in the gray cloud of the NBA lockout.

gyso

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