Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward made his highly-anticipated return to the basketball court on Tuesday night following a year on the sidelines recovering from a gruesome leg injury almost exactly one year ago. The 28-year-old did show some rust and had a sub-par performance, but Hayward believes that it was a momentous game for him nonetheless.
Following the win against arch-rivals Philadelphia 76ers, Hayward discussed the impact his first game back had on him from a mentality standpoint.
“That was a big step for me mentally, a big confidence boost just to finish that first game (and) be back on the court,” Hayward said, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. “That was a big hurdle.”
After a career-threatening injury on opening night last year, there were question marks on whether or not Hayward would be able to return to form as the deadly, cornerstone-caliber player he once was with the Utah Jazz. While he still has a lot to prove, getting through his first full game for the Celtics still holds a lot of meaning for Hayward.
Hayward started the game for the Celtics and played 24 and a half minutes on the evening. It was a poor shooting night for the former All-Star who only made four of his 12 shot attempts. He tallied an unremarkable 10 points, one three-pointer, five rebounds, zero assists, four steals, and zero turnovers on his second debut as a Celtic.
Hayward acknowledged the fact that he will still need to put in a ton of work, but reiterated the fact that he will be taking away a lot from this contest.
“Definitely still a long ways to go,” he said. “I’m not where I want to be yet, but it was a great first step.”
The Celtics emerged victorious against Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and the rest of the Sixers with a final score of 105-87.
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