Brad Stevens wasn't on the Boston Celtics' bench on Thursday when his team faced the Chicago Bulls. He had more important business to attend to in Indiana, as Andrew Smith, one of his former players from his time as the coach at Butler, was admitted to the hospital.

Smith has been battling cancer for two years and made great progress, but suffered a setback recently. Stevens, who had visited him in the early stages of the disease, wanted to be with him in a moment of need. It's not a choice a lot of coaches would have made in the middle of the season, but Stevens considers his current and former players family. The Celtics know that firsthand and were respectful of their coach's decision.

"His players, his staff, he values very much," center Tyler Zeller told The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn before the game. "He felt like this was something he needed to do and that family is bigger than one game. You have to respect him a lot for that."

Veteran wing Evan Turner went further, telling Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that he was "blown away" by Stevens' decision.

"That guy's lucky to be able to have coach; guys that played for him are lucky to be able to have a coach like that. It just speaks volumes, and I'm blown away by it. I'm lucky to play for him. That says a lot about his character, and obviously it puts him in a higher stature than I already have him."

Boston lost a close game to the Bulls without Stevens, which made his players reflect on his importance.

"He's my leader," Jae Crowder said, according to Celtics.com. "I just look over for reassurance. It helps me a lot to see our leader so calm and possessed when a team goes on a run when we're on the road. As the team gets frantic, I think he holds his poise very well, and it rubs off on each and every one of us players."

Others echoed that sentiment, expressing their respect for Stevens for making the decision he made, but also mentioning how much they missed him and how badly they want him to return.

Stevens clearly builds close personal relationships with his players. That's why he flew to Indiana to be with Smith. The gesture not only meant a lot for the former Bulldog and his family, but also clearly made an impression on the players under his guidance now.

* * *

SB Nation presents: Isaiah Thomas watches a jump ball because he's too short to win