Boston Celtics Forward Gordon Hayward to Undergo Surgery After Dislocating Ankle, Fracturing Tibia
Gordon Hayward's season could very well be over after he suffered a gruesome leg injury in the Boston Celtics' season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, Oct 17.
The All-Star forward went down with the injury just five minutes into his debut with the Celtics as he landed awkwardly on his left leg after a failed alley-oop attempt. Medical personnel had to stabilize his leg before they took him to the locker room on a stretcher.
Players from both teams couldn't hold back their emotions as a hush fell over Quicken Loans Arena, but they had to play on.
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After the game, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens told reporters that Hayward was diagnosed with a left ankle dislocation and left tibia fracture.
"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. 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," Stevens on Tuesday, via ESPN.
His agent, Mark Bartelstein, has also confirmed that he was scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday night. Dr. Mark Slovenkai and Celtics' team physician Dr. Brian McKeon will reportedly perform the surgery.
The Celtics have not put a timetable for Hayward's return, but he's going to be out for months while he recovers from this.
Hayward just signed a four-year, $128-million max deal with the Celtics this offseason as they continued to put together a squad that could seriously challenge the Cavaliers for supremacy in the Eastern Conference.
With Hayward sidelined for months, his fellow All-Stars, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, will have to carry the load.
Meanwhile, Stevens has confirmed that they are calling up Jabari Bird to the active roster.
"We are bringing [rookie] Jabari Bird back and using one of his [G-League] two-way days today," Stevens said, according to ESPN.
