It was a gruesome scene — one that rocked the basketball-loving universe on opening night. Gordon Hayward, who the Boston Celtics had just acquired from the Utah Jazz, went down with the leg injury heard round the world. And just like that, Boston's season had a new path…

All was not lost for Green Nation, though. The Celtics, led by head coach Brad Stevens, played their way to a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, where they ultimately lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7. A remarkable feat, considering the C's were without Hayward and Kyrie Irving (knee).

Updates on Hayward's status were given throughout the season. He's been working hard towards rehabilitation, first using an anti-gravity treadmill while running on his surgically repaired left ankle, then later progressing to on-court jogging. Now, according to a report from Jay King of The Athletic, Hayward is able to play one-on-one and should be able to work even more in the coming months.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf1GzRoFwA5/?hl=en&taken-by=gordonhayward

Hayward is an excellent player, without question. He's especially dangerous from beyond the arc. Over the course of his career, the former Butler Bulldog has racked up averages of 15.6 points on 44.4 percent shooting from the field (36.8 percent from downtown), 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steal in 31.3 minutes per.

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Needless to say, a healthy Hayward is a great thing for the Celtics (and basketball in general).

“Every day, I'm a step closer to being back,” Hayward wrote in a recent Instagram post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgy9-zoAJY4/?hl=en&taken-by=gordonhayward

“I’m happy to report I’m feeling like an athlete again,” Hayward wrote on his website. “I’ve been in Indianapolis for the last couple weeks making some really good progress. I leave the hotel every morning at about 9:30 a.m. and don’t get back til about 6 p.m. We do a lot of running mechanics, physical therapy, a lift of some sort, and then court work for another few hours.”

As of now, there is not a firm timetable with regards to Hayward's return, according to Celtics general manager Danny Ainge. The good news is: progress is definitely being made.