Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge is excited to see what the coming season has in store for Gordon Hayward.
“I’m really excited for Gordon’s upcoming season,” Ainge said of Hayward. “He’s here every day working out with five or six coaches. I’m not worried about Gordon.”
As most hoops fans know, Hayward suffered one of the more gruesome injuries in recent NBA history just five minutes into his debut with the Celtics. After evaluations, it was determined that he had suffered a dislocated left ankle and a fractured left tibia.
Hayward endured months of rehab, but he managed to recover. He described his rehabilitation process as one of the most difficult things he has done in his life.
“The hardest part of the whole process was the mental challenge,” Hayward said via CelticsWire. “I think you find the fight within yourself.”
“There were so many days when I woke up and was like ‘Man, here we go again,' Hayward added. “It was the most difficult thing I’ve done.”
Hayward made 72 appearances with the Celtics this season (18 starts), racking up averages of 11.5 points on 46.6 percent shooting from the field (33.3 percent from beyond the arc), 4.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and just under one steal (0.9) in 25.9 minutes per outing.
Hayward's fighting spirit has endeared him to many Celtics fans. Some thought his career might be over, but thanks to a lot of hard work and determination, he's back to playing the sport he loves.
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