It's been a long, arduous journey for Gordon Hayward. Suffering a gruesome injury less than ten minutes into the NBA season last year, he's since been working day and night to be ready for this date. October 16th. The Celtics' home opener, the first game of the 2018-19 season, and the first regular-season game he will play in front of his home crowd.
There have been questions about how he'll fit, how the former All-Star's minutes will shake out on a roster that has a group of young stars emerging far earlier than expected. There have been questions about how long it will take him to get back up to speed after a year away from full-speed basketball.
But none of that matters tonight.
Tonight marks the end of the process for Hayward. There will be no more waiting, no more rehab. He finally gets the chance to do what he's been dreaming about for 12 months: step back onto the parquet and compete with his team.
There will be an adjustment period. There will be times where Hayward looks a step slow or a bit hesitant, still working to get himself acclimated both with the speed of the game and his teammates.
But the Celtics' crowd is ready. They've been ready since Hayward signed in July of 2017 to see him alongisde Kyrie Irving and Al Horford. His teammates have been waiting just as long to play with him. Brad Stevens, his coach who has been with him from the very beginning, is ready to finally work with Hayward on the court again. Everyone at TD Garden will be anticipating the moment Hayward steps out in that Celtics green.
You can bet Hayward is ready, too. The end of his journey is finally here. Now, the fun begins.
Boston Celtics
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