Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward suffered a gruesome ankle injury on opening night of the 2017-18 season. He was forced to watch from the sidelines for months. However, after a lengthy rehabilitation, the former Butler Bulldog is ready to take the floor.
To highlight Hayward's drive towards recovery, the designers at League of Legends developed a promotional clip to tell his inspirational story.
For those who aren't aware, League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena video game in which “summoners” control a “champion” with unique abilities.
Hayward has admitted he is an avid online gamer, so the fact that League of Legends went out of their way to create such a piece is a nice gesture.
In the clip, Hayward assumes the role of Tryndamere, The Barbarian King. His opponent, Aatrox, the Darkin Blade, is a fierce demon. During the fight, Aatrox slams Tryndamere (Hayward) to the ground, leaving him out of commission.
The story goes on to mimic Hayward's will to recover, just as he did in the real world. In the end, Hayward invokes Tryndamere's “Undying Rage,” which is an ability that renders him immortal for five seconds. One more “Spinning Slash” from Tryndamere, and Aatrox was defeated.
Inspired by the triumphant return of Gordon Hayward, Tryndamere main and superstar NBA small forward. It's On. pic.twitter.com/INH1Z9HsLZ
— League of Legends (@LeagueOfLegends) October 16, 2018
Hayward will make his return to the hardwood on Tuesday when the Celtics welcome the Philadelphia 76ers to TD Garden. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. ET with TNT having live broadcast coverage. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has previously stated that Hayward will see somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 minutes.
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