It has been more than two months since Boston Celtics All-Star forward Gordon Hayward suffered a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle in his left leg less than six minutes in the season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This has provided him with enough time to reflect and truly assess the situation for what it is. During a recent interview on the “Dan Patrick Show,” Gordon revealed that the depression that came with the injury was worse than the actual pain.
“Definitely the depression. It's been painful, but it's nothing like sitting around watching the team you were supposed to be playing with this year. I signed with the Boston Celtics this year only to now sit and watch the Boston Celtics play all year. That part is definitely difficult and by far harder much more difficult than to deal with the pain.”
Hayward had inked a four-year, $128 million deal this past offseason to play with the Celtics after spending his first seven years in the league with the Utah Jazz. He was expected to play a major part in the revamped roster that had much initial hype as a legitimate title contender.
What has likely made that much more difficult to deal with for him is that Boston currently holds the top record in the Eastern Conference and look like a team that can be a serious threat to dethrone the Cavaliers in the playoffs. Granted, much of this has been due to the emergence of both Jaylen Brown and rookie Jayson Tatum in extended roles due to Hayward's injury.
It is the first significant injury that he has suffered in his NBA career, which has made it more difficult for him handle mentally. Hayward has shown continued progress through his recovery from the injury and could potentially be back on the court sooner than expected. This has been a new experience for him and something that could have a tremendous impact on his career moving forward.
Follow Us
Subscribe
