Gordon Hayward gives pregame message to Celtics from hospital bed

One night after suffering a gruesome leg injury, Celtics star Gordon Hayward was still able to deliver a message to the team and fans.

Opening Night of the 2017-18 NBA season could not have gotten off to a more somber start. In the season-opening game between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, Hayward suffered a gruesome leg injury just minutes into the contest, and we would come to find out he fractured his tibia and injured his ankle as well.

Although the hearts of the Celtics and their fans are heavy right now with the loss of their huge free agency acquisition, Boston has their second game of the season on Wednesday night as they are back home taking on the Milwaukee Bucks. However, they weren’t completely without Hayward for this one.

In what is one of the more touching things that we will certainly see all NBA season, from his hospital bed where he is awaiting his surgery Wednesday night, Hayward recorded a video message to the Celtics and their fans. Again, one of the more emotional scenes that will take place this NBA season.

There has to be a lot going on in the mind of Hayward, as we also learned on Wednesday night that he would be going under the knife for the injuries that he suffered in the opener on Tuesday against the Cavaliers.

Without Hayward, the Celtics did end up giving the defending Eastern Conference Champion Cavs all they could handle but just came up short.

There’s no word on whether or not Hayward could make it back before the season comes to a close, but it does seem unlikely given the severity of the injury. But he proved tonight that even if he can’t be on the court, he’ll be there in some form or fashion for his teammates and the entire city of Boston as he works his way back.