Boston's Gordon Hayward says he still hopes to play this season

What's the story?

Boston Celtics guard Gordon Hayward took part in an interview session with the media on Friday. During that interview, he disclosed that he still plans on trying to play this season after suffering a gruesome leg injury in the first game of the season.

In case you didn't know...

In the season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Hayward fractured his tibia and dislocated his ankle just six minutes into the 2017-18 NBA season. During the offseason, he signed a 4-year, $128 million contract with Boston.

The heart of the matter...

ESPN's Chris Forsberg was one of the members of the media to speak with Hayward on Friday, and take a look at a video clip from that interview from his Twitter account below:

Gordon Hayward if he still has hope to play this year: “The hope is still there. It’s something where I’m really honestly not even thinking about it.” pic.twitter.com/L6g7bV5DUy
— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) March 9, 2018

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During the interview, Hayward talks about not looking too far ahead, taking every step towards a return day by day. Out of everything involved in his recovery, Hayward says the mental aspect is the biggest challenge. He thanked the great training staff of the Celtics for helping him get this far already in the process.

Hayward mentioned that he's been asked thousands of times if he's coming back or not. Every time he goes out in public, the question is raised. He mentioned that the hope is still there and it is something he's working for, but "if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen."

What's next?

Though they lost their big acquisition, others have stepped up in Hayward's absence and the Celtics are second in the Eastern Conference with a 46-20 record. Their next game is against the Indiana Pacers (37-28) on Sunday evening.

Author's take...

Being a Boston fan, I was really saddened when Hayward went down just six minutes into the season, but the play of guys like Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown has vaulted the Celtics to one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference.

As much as I would love to see Hayward back this year to help the Celtics, I'm going to trust the medical staff and organization of Boston to make the right call. Similar to what Hayward said Friday, if it happens, it happens, if it doesn't, then I will look forward to seeing him in green next year.