Boston Celtics

Celtics' Hayward: ‘100 Percent Healthy'

Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward said Thursday he has been playing full-court basketball for the past two weeks and feels 100 percent healthy as he continues his return from a gruesome leg injury suffered in last year's season opener.

Hayward told reporters at the Celtics' practice facility in Boston that while he has no restictions, there are "certain things that are going to take time.  

"The last step for me, as far as a physical standpoint, is the little explosion and that little, juiced bounce that you get, and that's going to take me the longest time," he said. 

Hayward said he has not watched video of the leg injury that caused him to miss last season. He added that he has not experienced fear while ramping up basketball activities. 

"I haven't had any fear as far as cutting or jumping," Hayward said. "It's just working my way back into a groove, finding the certain rhythms and timings of the game."

The Celtics forward said sitting and watching the games while nursing his injury was difficult and there were some dark days wondering about his future, but he was encouraged by the support of his teammates.

"I'm a big doughnut guy," Hayward recounted. "(Aron Baynes) brought Krispy Kremes back from a road trip and drove them over to the house. Just simple things like that."

Boston advanced to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals without Hayward and star point guard Kyrie Irving before ultimately losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In May, Hayward had surgery to remove a plate and screws in his broken left leg. At the time, the team said his leg and ankle were sound, but the plate and screws implanted to help the injury heal were irritating his tendons.

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