Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Mike Mavredakis

Former Celtic looking to return to NBA after heart-wrenching injury

Last summer, former Boston Celtics center Aron Baynes was in Tokyo with Team Australia in pursuit of an Olympic medal. They would end up finishing with a bronze, but Baynes could only watch from a hospital bed, according to a new story from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

Baynes suffered a series of falls in Japan, both on and off the court, that led to internal bleeding and a months-long fight for the full use of his limbs, according to Windhorst. He had to wade through pain medications, treatments, language barriers with doctors and nurses and stringent COVID-19 protocols in both Japan and Australia before being able to get back to see his family again.

He went from dunking and competing at the highest level for his country in the Olympics to struggling to stand and re-learning to walk in the span of weeks.

Now he wants to return to the NBA — partially because referees are allowing more physicality this season, he told Windhorst.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.