Isaiah Thomas may hold a grudge against some Boston Celtics. Gordon Hayward is not one of them.
Hayward suffered a horrific ankle injury just five minutes into his Celtics debut Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s likely out for the season, and his unfortunate setback prompted an outpouring of support from around the NBA.
On Wednesday, the player who expected to take the court alongside Hayward this season offered his condolences.
Thomas never got the chance to team up with Hayward, as the Celtics traded him to the Cavs prior to training camp, about a month and a half after signing Hayward in free agency. But the two ships passing in the night still managed to develop a bond, as Thomas actually played a major role in recruiting the former Utah Jazz star to Boston.
“(Thomas) didn’t just help recruit me to Boston—he was a big piece of that recruitment,” Hayward wrote in a blog post on his website in September. “… All of that ultimately helped win me over. And by the time of the trade, I had already started to build a little bit of a relationship with (Thomas).”
Thomas, who is sidelined for the considerable future with a hip injury but was at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday night, even paid Hayward a visit in the locker room shortly after his frightening injury.
Hayward faces a long road to recovery, but it appears there are plenty of supporters behind him.
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports Images
