Gordon Hayward's agent, Mark Bartelstein, has confirmed that the Boston Celtics' All-Star forward is unlikely to make a return this season after undergoing successful surgery to repair a dislocated left ankle and a fractured tibia in Boston on Wednesday night.
"We expect him to make a full recovery and return to his All-Star form," Bartelstein said, per ESPN.
Hayward, who suffered the gruesome injury just minutes into his Boston Celtics debut on Tuesday night, videotaped a message to Celtics fans from his hospital bed, which played on the video board inside the TD Garden last night.
"What's up, everybody? I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has kept me in their thoughts and prayers," Hayward said. "I'm going to be all right. It's hurting me that I can't be there for the home opener; I want nothing more just to be with my teammates and walk out onto that floor tonight. I'll be supporting you guys from here. I wish you the best of luck. Kill it tonight."
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said,
"I was [at the hospital] for a minute last night and also again today for an hour or so. He's down," Stevens said. "Obviously, there's a physical pain to it, but I think it's also doubled by the emotional pain of, you know, he put a lot of effort into trying to start this, his career, out well in Boston.
"But this is a setback; we're expecting a full recovery. And we know there are going to be a lot of tough days ahead on that recovery but, at the same time, hopefully he'll improve day to day. But it's been tough. It's been tough for him."
Boston went on to lose last night's game to the Milwaukee Bucks, 108-100, which puts them at 0-2 on the season. Their next matchup is tomorrow night against the Sixers in Philadelphia.
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