It's funny. You see a random NBA player who kicks around the league as a journeyman and you form an opinion of him. I guess mine of Dooling was "inefficient quasi-point guard who tries hard."
Then your team signs the journeyman, and you slowly learn more about the player. You see his approach to the game, his interaction with his teammates, his adaptation to his role on your team, and you then appreciate that journeyman even more. maybe he then comes up big in a few playoff games and he actually endears himself to you.
Dooling really grew on me this past season, and I was disappointed when I heard that he was retiring abruptly. Now, after reading about his situation, and how courageously he's handles his issues, my admiration for Dooling had gone off the charts.
I can see why he quickly became a locker room favorite with the Celtics. Dooling is a high character guy, and the Celtics were wise to keep him with the organization.
Best wishes to Dooling and his family.