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What's the story?
Just minutes into his Boston Celtics debut, Gordon Hayward suffered a gruesome injury that resulted in a dislocated ankle and broken leg. NBC Sports Boston's A. Sherrod Blakely reported that from Celtic guard Isaiah Thomas spent time in the locker room with Hayward while being attended to by team doctors.
In case you didn't know...
Isaiah Thomas was instrumental in recruiting Gordon Hayward and getting him to sign with Boston in the off-season. Hayward signed a four-year deal with Boston in July, but in the following month, Thomas was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a deal that included Kyrie Irving going to Boston.
The heart of the matter...
Hayward suffered the injury early in the first quarter of the season opener when he collided with LeBron James and landed awkwardly. The cameras were right on Hayward on the court; which gave a close-up look at the ugly injury to his ankle.
After Thomas left the locker room, Blakely reported that he was shaking his head and looked visibly saddened by what he saw. The two developed a friendship from Thomas' recruitment that Hayward would explain shortly after the trade:
"He didn't just help recruit me to Boston--he was a big piece of that recruitment. He had talked a lot about city and how it was different to be a Celtic. He talked about the intensity of playing in the Eastern Conference Finals, playing at the Garden in the playoffs, and how much fun it was, and how much fun he had playing in Boston.All of that ultimately helped win me over. And by the time of the trade, I had already started to build a little bit of a relationship with him."
What's next?
Hayward had an MRI and a CT scan on his leg and foot this morning. Once doctors are able to review the results they will determine the next course of action; which will likely include surgery.
Author's take...
That was great of Thomas to spend time with Hayward. As a Boston Celtic fan, it would have been great to see those two on the court together.
The way the NBA family has rallied to show their support of Hayward is tremendous, and I wish for a speedy recovery for him.
