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Heat's Green Sidelined After Bizarre Incident

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami Heat reserve guard Gerald Green joined the team less than a year ago and was off to a scorching start this season.

But the 29-year old has been sidelined by bizarre incident which landed him in the hospital, and has prompted his teammates to express concerns.

A Miami fire rescue unit was sent to the Marquis Residences in downtown Miami around 11 a.m. on Wednesday after a security guard called 911 to report a man passed out on the floor.

Miami police were called to the building to help with a quote "combative patient."

According to TMZ.com, witnesses said Green was acting strangely and screaming at the top of his lungs in the middle of the lobby. It took several people to get him on a stretcher, including teammate Mario Chalmers who lives nearby. He rode with Green in the ambulance to the hospital.

CBS4's Peter D'Oench spoke with Green's neighbors.

Annie Perrson said, "We were in the kitchen and we heard a lot of screaming. I didn't know what it was."

Her mother, Nancy Perrson, said, "I thought it was a lot of drunken teenagers on an elevator. It sounded a little crazy. There was a lot of banging and incoherent yelling. Someone was obviously upset."

Natalie Rosenfeld told D'Oench, "I just heard he was really rambunctious and out of control and security was trying to get him under control and tried to tackle him and get him down. People like Heat players are public figures and they need to behave."

Another neighbor Tal Ben-Josef said, "I just heard he collapsed in the lobby area and woke up disoriented."

A 911 caller also described a man who had collapsed in the lobby and who had passed out.

Before taking off to Minneapolis for the start of a two game road trip, the Heat released a statement.

"This morning we were informed that Gerald Green was admitted into the hospital. Right now our concerns are with Gerald and we have no further comment at this time."

On Thursday afternoon, Heat forward Chris Bosh told CBS4, "He's just one of those guys who can score 30 points in a game and we will miss his outside shooting. But what is most important is his health and we will figure out a way to win. But it is good for us to go through this early in the season. Things like this happen in life and the game goes on."

Heat guard Dwyane Wade said, "Being a young guy and going through trades and other stuff I can see how this is tough on him. But he has potential. We give him a vote of confidence and he is one of the rising stars in the league and he will continue to forward and work on his game."

Coach Eric Spoelstra said Green was an asset.

"He makes heady plays and is a competitor and makes winning plats. He just needs to focus on this thing to earn more playing time," said Spoelstra.

Green wasn't with the team on Tuesday night when they lost to the Atlanta Hawks – he was sitting out with illness.

The Heat signed Green over the summer to a one-year, $1.4 million contract. He averaged 10.3 points on 32.3 percent shooting in the three regular-season games he played.

It's not known what happened to him and how long he will be at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

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