>>> WE ARE BACK NOW WITH AN NBC
NEWS EXCLUSIVE. MATT, YOU TALKED TO NBA STAR GOR
GORDON HAYWARD WHO SUFFERED THAT
DEVASTATING INJURY ON THE COURT.
>> HES A NICE, YOUNG MAN.
THOSE WHO HAVE YET TO SEE THIS,
IT IS HARD TO WATCH.
HAYWARD WAS MAKING HIS DEBUT AS A BOSTON CELTIC, THE FIRST GAME
OF A YEAR, WHEN HE TOOK A NASTY
FALL AND SUFFERED A GRUESOME INJURY.D SUFFERED A GRUESOME
INJURY.
A BADLY BROKEN AND DISLOCATED
ANKLE.
>> PROBABLY HIT THE BIGGEST SHOT --ABLY HIT THE BIGGEST
SHOT --
>> OH, MY GOODNESS.
HAYWARD CAME DOWN SO HARD. HAYWARD HAS BROKEN HIS LEG.
>> NOW IN HIS FIRST INTERVIEW
SINCE THEN, HE OPENS UP ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED.
THE IMPACT ITS HAD ON HIS FAMILY AND HIS INSPIRING PUSH TO
COME BACK STRONGER THAN EVER.
GORDON, HOW YOU FEELING?
>> I FEEL BETTER TODAY THAN I
DID YESTERDAY.
DID YESTERDAY. ITS KIND OF MY MINDSET RIGHT
NOW.
NOW.
JUST TRYING TO WORK THROUGH EACH DAY. TRYING TO WORK THROUGH EACH
DAY. TRYING TO SET LITTLE MINI GOALS,
YOU KNOW, AND TRYING TO GET ON
WITH IT.
WITH IT.
>> THATS PHYSICALLY, I THINK,
YOURE REFERRING TO.
>> YES.
>> TALK TO ME ABOUT EMOTIONALLY.
BECAUSE THIS WAS -- THIS IS NOT
YOUR TYPICAL INJURY.
>> RIGHT.
I MEAN, EMOTIONALLY, ITS -- IT IS HARD ON ME.NALLY, ITS -- IT
IS HARD ON ME. I LOVE TO PLAY THE GAME OF
BASKETBALL.
BASKETBALL.
SO TO SIT THERE AND NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY, IT GETS KIND OFBE ABLE
TO PLAY, IT GETS KIND OF FRUSTRATING.
FRUSTRATING.
>> IS THERE A CERTAIN MENTAL
TRAUMA THAT YOU THINK IS
INVOLVED IN THIS INJURY, AS WELL, JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU
SAW AND WHAT YOU FELT?
>> YEAH, I THINK SO.
I MEAN, I THINK I REMEMBER
LOOKING AT IT AND IT JUST -- IT
JUST DOESNT LOOK NORMAL AND
DIDNT LOOK RIGHT AT ALL.
THATLL DEFINITELY BE WITH ME
FOREVER, TO SEE -- LIKE LOOK
DOWN AND SEE MY FOOT THE WRONG
WAY.
WAY.
SO THATS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING
THAT I TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT. MY FOOT IS FACING THE RIGHT WAY
NOW SO --
NOW SO -- >> YOU LOOK DOWN AND SAY, THAT
LOOKS BETTER.
LOOKS BETTER. >> I STILL DOUBLE CHECK
SOMETIMES.
SOMETIMES.
>> AWAY WE GO. >> LETS GO BACK TO THE NIGHT,
THE FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON,
THE SEASON OPENER.
YOURE A BRAND-NEW CELTIC.
THIS IS A BIG DEAL.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YOURE IN CLEVELAND.
PLAYING LeBRON AND THE CAVS.
YOURE FIVE MINUTES INTO THE
SEASON.
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE
PLAY?
>> THE BIGGEST SHOT IN CAVS
HISTORY.
>> GOING UP -- OH, MY GOODNESS.
HAYWARD CAME DOWN SO HARD.
>> I REMEMBER HAVING A STEP ON MY DEFENDER.R HAVING A STEP ON
MY DEFENDER. HE WAS KIND OF BEHIND ME, UNDER
ME A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN LeBRON
KIND OF CAME OVER AT THE LAST
SECOND.
SECOND.
THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE IN THE AIR TRYING TO GET THE BALL.THE
AIR TRYING TO GET THE BALL. THERE IS A SENSE IN THE AIR,
WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE YOURE OFF
BALANCE AND YOU KNOW YOURE
GOING TO COME DOWN HARD.
IVE HAD THAT FEELING BEFORE.
FOR THE MOST PART, IM ABLE TO
KIND OF ADJUST.
FOR THIS INSTANCE, MY FOOT WAS
CAUGHT AND THERE WAS NOTHING I
COULD DO.
COULD DO.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT HIT ME.
IT WAS LIKE IMMENSE PAIN COMING
THROUGH.
IT FELT LIKE FOREVER BEFORE THE
DOCTORS AND THE TRAINERS RAN
OVER.
IT JUST FELT LIKE, FOR A MOMENT
THERE, IM JUST LOOKING AT IT
AND ITS JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW --
THATS WHEN I GRABBED MY HEAD
LIKE, OH, NO, THIS IS NOT GOOD. THEN WHEN THEY FINALLY POPPED IT
BACK INTO PLACE, IT HURT.
WHEN THEY WERE CARTING ME OUT,
THATS WHEN IT HIT ME
EMOTIONALLY, LIKE I GOT THIS WAE
WAVE OF EMOTION, LIKE AM I DONE?
IS THIS MY CAREER?
IS THIS OVER?
>> HAVE YOU SEEN THE VIDEO?
>> IVE SEEN IT, YEAH.
>> HAVE YOU SEEN THE SHOTS OF
THE PEOPLE IN THE CROWD?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. IVE SEEN SOME OF THEM.
LIKE HOW EVERYONE CRINGES A
LITTLE BIT AND THEY DONT WANT
TO LOOK.
TO LOOK.
>> OTHER PLAYERS WERE PRAYING.
>> IVE SEEN THAT, TOO, WHICH IS PRETTY COOL TO SEE, FOR SURE.IS
PRETTY COOL TO SEE, FOR SURE. >> I READ THAT YOUR PARENTS WERE
THERE.
THERE.
>> MM-HMM. >> I CANT EVEN IMAGINE WHAT IT
MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE TO BE YOUR
PARENTS WATCHING WHAT WAS
HAPPENING TO THEIR SON ON THE
FLOOR.
FLOOR.
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, ITS -- AS A PARENT, YOU
DONT WANT YOUR CHILD TO GO THROUGH THAT.R CHILD TO GO
THROUGH THAT.
AS A PARENT MYSELF, ITS LIKE, THINKING, I WOULD RATHER TAKE
THEIR PAIN.
THEIR PAIN. YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS WHERE IT
MAKES ME EMOTIONAL, BECAUSE --
LIKE I WOULDNT WANT MY KIDS TO
GO THROUGH THAT.
SORRY.
SORRY.
>> ITS OKAY.
>> I REMEMBER SEEING MY MOM, AND
IT WAS -- SHES CRYING.
LIKE THATS JUST TOUGH.
ITS TOUGH.
TOUGH TO SEE YOUR PARENTS CRY,
TOO, BECAUSE IT MAKES SS YOU
EMOTIONAL.
WE WENT BACK TO THE LOCKER ROOM AND TOOK X-RAYS.THE LOCKER ROOM
AND TOOK X-RAYS. THATS WHERE THEY SAID, YOU HAVE
A BROKEN ANKLE.
>> WHEN YOURE SITTING BACK IN
THE ROOM AND THE ICE IS ALL OVER
YOU, THEYVE TOLD YOU YOU HAVE A
BROKEN ANKLE, YOU KNOW THE
SEASON IS DONE.
>> MM-HMM. >> WHATS THAT LIKE TO DIGEST?
>> THAT WAS TOUGH.
THATS WHEN, YOU KNOW, ROBIN
CALLS AND IM TALKING TO ROBIN.
SHES TRYING TO SUPPORT ME.
SAYS SHE WISHED SHE WAS THERE.
GOD DOESNT GIVE YOU A CHALLENGE
YOU CANT HANDLE.
I THINK HAVING THE TWO LITTLE
ONES WILL REALLY HELP ME.
THEY GIVE YOU A LITTLE
PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE THEY DONT
KNOW WHATS GOING ON.
THEY JUST KNOW DADDY HAS A BOO
BOO.
BOO.
THEY LIKE TO DECORATE IT WITH STICKERS. TO DECORATE IT WITH
STICKERS.
THEY LIKE TO GIVE IT A HUG AND A KISS BECAUSE THATS WHAT WE DOD A
KISS BECAUSE THATS WHAT WE DO WHEN THEY GET BOO BOOS.
>> WHAT DO YOU WANT TO LEARN
THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE?
WHAT HAVE YOU ALREADY LEARNED?
>> I THINK ITS -- IM GOING TO COME BACK BETTER THAN EVER, AND
I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT, BUT I
KNOW IT IS GOING TO BE A LONG
AND DIFFICULT PROCESS.
>> AFTER SURGERY, THE HOSPITAL,
HIS COACH SAID, DO YOU NEED
ANYTHING, HE SAID, I WANT A BASKETBALL.E SAID, I WANT A
BASKETBALL.
SENT BASKETBALLS OVER. HES BEEN KIND OF HANDLING THE
BASKETBALL EVER SINCE.
>> WOW.
>> BEFORE WE DID THAT INTERVIEW,
IN THAT GYM, HE SAT IN HIS CHAIR
AT HALF COURT TAKING SHOTS.
>> YOU ARE KIDDING.
>> WOW.
>> HE MADE AS MANY AS I MADE. NO.HE MADE AS MANY AS I MADE.
NO.
HE SAYS ON OTHER DAYS, HE MAKES QUITE A FEW FROM THE CHAIR.AKES
QUITE A FEW FROM THE CHAIR. >> WHAT A THOUGHTFUL --
>> SUPER YOUNG MAN.
>> BEAUTIFUL.
>> BEAUTIFUL. WATCHING HIM TALK ABOUT HIS KIDS