DAD: HAYWARD’S INJURY ‘A DETOUR’
Early guesses say forward could return in 5-7 months
Gordon Hayward’s father called the injury to his son “a detour” Wednesday and is optimistic he will play again for the Boston Celtics.
Hayward’s parents, Gordon Sr. and Jodie, were in Cleveland and saw their son collapse with a shocking leg injury. They could tell something was seriously wrong. They visited him in the locker room Tuesday night after he was injured during the first quarter of the NBA game against the Cavaliers.
Gordon Sr. said doctors thought the injuries would not be career-ending. Guesses were that Hayward could return in five to seven months, depending on damage to soft tissue and knee cartilage. He was diagnosed with a broken tibia and dislocated ankle.
Ralph Reiff, director of St. Vincent Sports Performance, repeatedly watched replay of the incident and said the timing of Hayward’s return depends on damage to the ankle. Hayward often has trained at St. Vincent in the offseason. “That ankle was 180 degrees turned from where it should have been,” Reiff said.
Gordon said his son was probably most disappointed by the lost opportunity. Hayward, 27, signed a four-year, $128 million contract during the offseason, leaving the Utah Jazz to join his former Butler coach, Brad Stevens.
“He was in a lot of pain. But I think the emotional pain was probably more substantial,” Gordon said Wednesday via cellphone. “Just the situation. He was looking forward to the season. He was really excited to play for the Celtics and Brad. Things had really started to click in the last couple of weeks.”
Stevens told reporters afterward that Hayward was coming off his most comfortable week with the Celtics.
“I really feel for him,” he said. Gordon Sr. offered perspective by recounting a Sunday sermon he had heard about a young boy fighting leukemia, a struggle more serious than the one his son faces.
“God will take care of this,” Gordon Sr. said. “It’s a detour on his journey. We have faith that God’s got this.”
The outpouring of prayers, love and support from the sporting world has been “tremendous,” he said. Hayward’s parents live in Brownsburg, where Hayward played basketball in high school.
In the first quarter of the game, Hayward jumped for an alley-oop pass and collided with LeBron James. Hayward’s left leg twisted underneath him as he landed on the floor, and his left foot pointed outward. Gordon Sr. said the ankle was reset on the floor. Hayward was taken first to the Cavs locker room and then to the Celtics locker room.
Gordon said he and his wife were on the other end of the floor in a corner and saw their son fall and the angle of his foot. “When he’s down, he’s injured,” he said. “He’s not just hurt.”
Reiff, a former Butler trainer, said the injury was more commonly seen in paratroopers or race car drivers. Even after medical tests, Reiff said, specifics of the injury won’t be understood until a surgeon can operate. Hayward was to have surgery Wednesday night, according to a person familiar with the procedure who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the situation. The leg fracture can heal as soon as six weeks.
Because of Hayward’s age, health, work ethic and access to top medical care, Reiff said he is optimistic about recovery.
“Elite athletes are different in a lot of ways,” Reiff said. “Sometimes it’s also in their biology. They have a tendency to heal quickly. And they also make great compensations. And that’s not necessarily a good thing. ... Their mechanisms just work around it. Eventually, it catches up. But it takes a while, and when I say a while, I mean it takes years.
“You take the character and attitude and faith, there’s no question he’s well-positioned.”