Theismann reaches out to Celts’ Hayward
WASHINGTON — Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens says Gordon Hayward is expected to make a full recovery from the gruesome injury he suffered in the team’s opener. They just don’t know how long it will take.
Stevens told reporters before the Celtics’ home opener Wednesday against Milwaukee that Hayward has a dislocated ankle and broken tibia. He is expected to have surgery soon, but it hasn’t been scheduled. Stevens says he isn’t sure if Hayward will be able to return this season.
After playing his first seven years with Utah, Hayward signed a four-year, $128 million contract this offseason to rejoin Stevens — his college coach — in Boston. But Hayward was injured in the sixth minute of the first game Tuesday when he landed awkwardly under the basket in Cleveland. THEISMANN: Former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann saw Hayward’s broken left ankle and immediately felt a kind of empathy few could.
Theismann says he’s available to chat with Hayward if the player wants.
“It sickens me every time I see a young man get hurt. It’s just such a shame,” Theismann said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
When Theismann tweeted , “Felt so bad for Hayward,” it resonated in a different way than the thoughts expressed by so many others.
On Nov. 18, 1985, Washington Redskins quarterback Theismann’s right leg was broken when he was sacked by New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor in the second quarter of a game on “Monday Night Football.”
BULLS: Forward Bobby Portis has been suspended for the first eight games of the season Wednesday for injuring teammate Nikola Mirotic during a fight at practice.
Mirotic suffered broken bones in his face as well as a concussion Tuesday and will
likely need surgery. VP of basketball operations John Paxson said Mirotic is expected to miss four to six weeks, and that he needs to clear the concussion protocol before the facial injuries can be resolved. Paxson acknowledged fault on both sides.
JORDAN: Charlotte owner Michael Jordan’s latest slam dunk off the court might come by way of the NBA’s new uniform contract with Nike.
Because the Jordan Brand is a Nike subsidiary and the namesake of the six-time NBA champion, the Hornets will be the only NBA team to wear the Jordan Brand “Jumpman” logo on their uniforms. That would appear to be a merchandising windfall.
After the switch from Adidas, the other 29 NBA teams will wear the Nike “swoosh” on their uniforms.
WARRIORS: Forward Draymond Green underwent an MRI exam on his strained left knee and his status for an upcoming road trip is unclear.