Gordon Hayward and the Celtics had such high hopes for his first season in Boston. With Kyrie Irving joining the squad, the Celtics planned on once again competing for the East’s top seed and hoped this year they had the star power to get past the Cavs in the playoffs.
The opener against Cleveland was to be their chance to send a message to the East’s top team, but just over five minutes into the game everything changed for Hayward and Boston. Hayward suffered a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle in one of the most gruesome basketball injuries in recent memory, causing fans, players on both sides, and the announcers to all recoil at the sight of his left ankle.
Hayward was flown back to Boston on Tuesday night where he will receive further treatment and examination before proceeding with surgery and the eventual long and slow journey back to the basketball court through rehab. Many around the NBA reached out to Hayward on social media, but none offered more support or better advice on how to fight back than Kobe Bryant.
Be sad. Be mad. Be frustrated. Scream. Cry. Sulk. When you wake up you will think it was just a nightmare only to realize it’s all too real. You will be angry and wish for the day back, the game back THAT play back. But reality gives nothing back and nor should you. Time to move on and focus on doing everything in your power to prepare for surgery, ask all the questions to be sure you understand fully the procedure so that you may visualize it in your subconscious while being operated on and better the chance of it’s success. Then focus on the recovery process day by day by day. It’s a long journey but if you focus on the mini milestones along the way you will find beauty in the struggle of doing simple things that prior to this injury were taken for granted. This will also mean that when you return you will have a new perspective. You will be so appreciative of being able to stand, walk, run that you will train harder than you ever have. You see the belief within you grow with each mini milestone and you will come back a better player for it. Best of luck to you on this journey my brother #mambamentality always.
Bryant, of course, has his own experiences recovering from injury having come back from a torn Achilles tendon towards the end of his career. Unsurprisingly, Bryant’s message to Hayward focuses on the mental side of recovery, which is often the most difficult part. It takes tons of mental strength to push through the long and frustrating days of rehab and getting back on the court after such a terrifying injury. Kobe has long preached the importance of mental strength and having the mentality to not back down from a challenge, and that’s what his message is to the Celtics star as he moves forward.
