Gordon Hayward suffered an injury on his debut for Boston Celtics, and will likely miss the rest of the season. In the first quarter of the game vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Hayward landed awkwardly after a jump and twisted his ankle. Medical staff rushed to help Hayward, while the players looked shocked. Dwyane Wade was kneeling with his hands on his head, while Kyrie Irving buried his head into Marcus Smart’s chest.
The game ended with Cavaliers taking a 102-99 win. After the match, Boston Celtics’ coach Brad Stevens told the reporters that Hayward dislocated his ankle and fractured his tibia. Hayward was immediately transferred to Boston, where he was admitted to New England Baptist Hospital. Although there were reports that he will have a surgery on Wednesday, Hayward’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, said to ESPN that they will “evaluate a course of action Wednesday after undergoing MRI and CT exams in the morning.“
“You hurt for him. He’s put in a lot of great work. And I thought he had his most comfortable week as far as feeling like he was going to play really well” – said Brad Stevens on Tuesday night. “But now we’ll hopefully get a full recovery, right? And so it’s a tough deal, but I guess that’s part of it, the risk of injury. I really feel for him.”
After becoming a free agent in the summer, Hayward attracted interest from numerous teams in the NBA. Boston Celtics and Miami Heat were considered the most likely candidates for Hayward’s signature alongside Utah Jazz, the team that drafted him. Hayward eventually decided for the Celtics, where he reunited with Brad Stevens, who coached him at Butler. Hayward signed a 4-year, contract with the Celtics, worth around $128 million.
