“I’ll be fine. Win the game.”
Those are the now famous words from University of Louisville basketball guard Kevin Ware during the Cardinals Elite Eight matchup against Duke at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Moments before, Ware sustained a compound leg fracture and was lying on the side of the court. His teammates were devastated with some collapsing to the floor with tears streaming from their faces.
“I’ll be fine. Win the game.”
As coach Rick Pitino stated in the press conference after the game, Ware had a broken right leg with the tibia bone sticking out of the skin. And there was Ware admonishing the team to remember the goal.
If you’ve followed the Cards at any time this season, you know how close they are. If not, join Instagram. You’ll see best friends sharing their lives together. It’s obvious that Russ Smith and Peyton Siva have tremendous love for each other. You’ll also see the brother-type love that Ware and Chane Behanan share.
How close are they? At the end of the game, Behanan put on Ware’s jersey, even though it was at least two sizes too small, as a tribute to his fallen friend.
Sunday night, Ware had successful surgery in Indianapolis to set the fracture, have a metal rod inserted and then had to have the open wound treated. The worry there is infection so he’ll be monitored closely. Doctors will also have to pay attention to the blood flow in the leg since the break pierced the skin. They also want to make sure major arteries or veins haven’t been damaged.
Ware’s recovery prognosis is very good. Medical personnel think this will not be a career-ending injury. If all goes well, he might be able to return to Louisville on Tuesday and he would like to travel with the team to Atlanta for the Final Four.
Cardinal sports fans will recall a similar injury to football star Michael Bush in 2006. Cardinal staffers point to that fracture and, even though it ended Bush’s season, it didn’t stop him from performing on the highest level. He’s currently a running back for the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
Ware’s family arrived to be at his side on Monday morning and he’s reportedly in great spirits despite what happened. The morning after the surgery, he was able to start getting around on crutches and not feeling too much pain.
Oh, and the Cards won the game by shellshocking the Blue Devils 85-63. They listened to you, Mr. Ware.
Photo: Louisville.com/Tim Girton
