What Danny Ainge means to a former BYU great

Not long ago, I attended the funeral of former BYU basketball coach Frank Arnold . I had the privilege of playing basketball for Coach Arnold at Brigham Young University for three years. He was a coach who demanded excellence, having come from a UCLA program that epitomized excellence by winning three NCAA championships in the early 1970s, with Coach Arnold assisting the great John Wooden .

The funeral was a beautiful tribute to Coach Arnold as his children honored him and their angel mother, Bee.

The funeral also served as a reunion of sorts for a group of Coach Arnold’s BYU players from the late ′70s and early ′80s. Scott Runia, Steve Craig, Fred Roberts, Craig Christensen, Greg Ballif, Steve Trumbo and Danny Ainge all came to honor the coach that led them to many victories, including an appearance in the Elite Eight in 1981.

As I listened to the tributes paid to this wonderful husband, father, grandfather, leader and coach, my thoughts turned to Danny Ainge . I had the good fortune to play with Danny for two years at BYU. Why was I thinking about Danny during this funeral? Because we almost lost Danny to a heart attack in 2019 . Through a series of miraculous events, and through people and resources being in the right place at the right time, Danny’s life was saved. As it looks now (with proper load management — meaning lots of golf) Danny should be good for another 30-plus years on this earth.

I’m guessing Danny will outlive me, so I want to share a few thoughts about him at this time, instead of waiting for his funeral. Danny doesn’t want the spotlight, nor does he crave additional accolades — his résumé in the world of sports is unmatched. But I want to honor him, his wife, Michelle, and their beautiful family by sharing how Danny has blessed my life and the lives of many others.

I first became a Danny Ainge fan when I was a senior at Provo High. I knew that Danny had been named an All-American in three sports in high school in Oregon, which amazed me. Needless to say, I was eager to see him in action. I was given front-row tickets to the BYU Varsity Preview in November of 1977. After the rosters were adjusted at halftime so the newly arrived freshmen could match up against the older established players, Danny proceeded to score 39 points in the second half of that game. I was in awe as I watched Danny compete.

A few months later, Danny came to one of my high school games and encouraged me to choose BYU after my senior year ended. He even wrote me letters of encouragement as our team prepared to play in the 1978 state tournament. Those letters meant the world to me.

I eventually chose to attend BYU. One of the primary reasons for that choice was so I could play on the same team as Danny Ainge and other great players under the direction of Coach Arnold. Danny turned out to be a fantastic teammate. We all loved him off the court, and we knew there wasn’t a game we couldn’t win with him on the court. He strived to put each of us in situations where we could excel.

At the end of my freshmen year in 1979, Danny single-handedly secured the WAC championship for us at San Diego State when he took over the game with about two minutes left and BYU down by seven points. San Diego State was led by Tony Gwynn, but Danny got the best of him and his teammates down the stretch, and we won the game by one point.

The next year, during a two-game stretch in the Midwest, Danny helped us win both games. The first was against Tulsa. I struggled during the game and was sitting on the bench as the clock wound down. With just a few seconds left in the game, Coach Arnold called a timeout. He was preparing the final play when Danny interrupted him. “Put Devin in the game,” Danny said. To my surprise, Coach Arnold told me to check in.

We then ran the play Coach Arnold had outlined in the timeout. The defense overplayed Danny and the ball came to me near the foul line. I hit an open jump shot at the buzzer — all thanks to “coach” Ainge. Danny’s suggestion to put me in the game at a crucial time did wonders for my confidence. If Danny Ainge believed in me, who was I to doubt myself?

The next night we played at Oral Roberts. The slogan painted on the side of their court was “Expect a Miracle.” I fouled out late in the contest and was seated on the bench. As the game came to a close, we were down by a point when Danny took a long jump shot that hit the bottom of the net as time expired. Danny didn’t need a miracle that night. He just needed an opportunity — and he delivered.

We all remember the next year when Danny had another late-game opportunity against Notre Dame with seven seconds on the clock. He again delivered in unforgettable fashion, leading BYU to its first and only Elite Eight appearance in the 1981 NCAA Tournament.

As we all witnessed in the subsequent years, Danny used his talents to succeed in Major League Baseball and then in the NBA.

He won two championships as a player with the Boston Celtics — in 1984 and 1986. He was an NBA All-Star in the 1987-88 season and was the best 3-point shooter in the league. After a 14-year career, Danny retired from the NBA.

He then became a successful television analyst on NBA games and later became the head coach of the Phoenix Suns in 1996. In 1999, Danny left coaching to give more time to his family.

In 2003, the Celtics reached out to see if he would consider returning to Boston to work in the front office. He accepted and became the executive director (later general manager) of the famed franchise.

In typical Danny Ainge style, and through some bold trades, he orchestrated the greatest rebuilding feat in NBA history as the Celtics won another NBA championship in 2008.

Later in September of that same year, I called Danny and asked him if I could bring my two sons to Boston to watch training camp and maybe meet a few of the Celtics players. He graciously accepted my request. When we arrived in Boston, Danny had tickets arranged for me to take my wife and sons to a Boston Red Sox playoff game. We went to the game early so my sons could touch the Green Monster in Fenway Park. We then witnessed a classic Red Sox comeback victory over the Tampa Rays.

We still talk about that game when the family gathers. We also had the blessing of attending church in Bishop Ainge’s ward in Boston and saw him interact with his priests quorum in love and humility (and good-natured fun). Thank you for the unforgettable trip, Danny!

I have so many other reasons to give thanks to Danny Ainge. Yes, he has many talents that are seen by the world, but his greatest strength may be all the good he does out of public view, including the many kindnesses he shows to both young and old, which I have witnessed personally.

Let me close this tribute by sharing one last thought about Danny. Ryan Smith , the owner of the Utah Jazz, is one of the smartest men of his generation. That is clear from what he and his father developed with their world-class company, Qualtrics. Another evidence of Ryan’s wisdom is his persuading Danny to help him as his right-hand man with the goal of bringing an NBA championship to Utah.

In a short time, Danny, through several astute trades, has helped lay the foundation to do just that. Who better than Danny Ainge to make a championship dream in Utah a reality? He won two NBA championships as a player and another as a general manager. He was also the one who put the pieces in place for the Celtics to win their most recent championship. It’s only a matter of time until there is a championship parade in the streets of Salt Lake City with Danny’s fingerprints all over it. Hiring Danny Ainge may end up being Ryan Smith’s best investment ever.

Thank you, Danny, for being the winner that you are and for taking so many of us along on your unparalleled ride. It has been a glorious one … and it’s not over!