Kelly Olynyk to be honored as tonight's "Hero Among Us"
While the Boston Celtics are known to celebrate the return of their former players to the TD Garden, tonight, Kelly Olynyk will be heralded in a different way than the usual video tribute played for former C's. He'll be named the Celtic's "Hero Among Us" during tonight's matchup with the Miami Heat, for all of his efforts helping the community in and around Boston and the tremendous impact he made off the court during his time here. Whether it was helping to bring attention to local charities and fundraisers, donating his time to kids in local youth centers, or helping schools in need - Kelly was there.
Olynyk just found out this morning, after the Heat's shootaround at the Garden, that he was set to be honored at tonight's game. While he's flattered to recieve such a warm gesture from his former team, he said the support in this city goes both ways. Via CBSLocal:
“I love this community and everything the Celtics did. It was fun to get out there with kids, especially,” said Olynyk. “This community does a lot for this team. When I first got here we weren’t very good at all, but they support you. No matter what your record is, they’ll be behind you, so I wanted to get behind them."
He also noted that returning to Boston will be special tonight, and that he'll always cherish the time he spent here:
“It kind of feels like you’re back at home, really. This is a special place,” Olynyk said. “I grew up here, became a man here. This is a real special place in my heart and will be for the rest of my life.”
Here I was hoping they'd play those Game 7 4th quarter highlights vs Washington from last year for Olynyk's return, but it seems the Celtics have come up with an even better way to honor the big guy. Anyone who's been to a C's game at the Garden knows what a special moment the "Hero Among Us" presentation is.
Photo Credit - Ezra Shaw/GETTY Images
Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkAL401