Gordon Hayward's road to recovery seems to be going pretty well following the devastating leg injury that he suffered less than six minutes into his Celtics debut back in October. This week, Hayward has taken a step forward in that recovery process.
On Tuesday, Celtics' general manager Danny Ainge shared a photo that shows Hayward hanging out at a pool, and the forward happens to be missing the ankle brace that he had been wearing to support his dislocated ankle. He looks very happy about it, too.
USA swimmer @smeathers5 (no muscle) coached by Celtic great @gordonhayward (no brace) lost a devastating race to Australian swimmer @stephen_mount today. No rematch is scheduled nor will be. #swimmersneedmuscles pic.twitter.com/lxTD4UqiIB
— Danny Ainge (@danielrainge) January 9, 2018
If Hayward is walking without the brace, that could be a sign of even more progression in his recovery. Hayward ditched his walking boot less than a month ago.
Even if he is walking freely, it's likely Hayward still has a lot more work to do before he's able to return to the court in any official capacity. The fractured tibia and dislocated ankle he suffered in Boston's regular-season opener was serious enough to be considered season-ending, and the Celtics have stressed that they're not expecting him to return this season.
But, despite the daunting recovery, Hayward has stressed that he's committed to getting back on the floor stronger and better than ever, and it appears he's putting in the work to make it happen as soon as possible. The Celtics have yet to officially rule out a possible return this season.
