Kevin Ware never doubted he'd return for Louisville

Adam Himmelsbach | USA TODAY Sports

LOUISVILLE - Kevin Ware's mother, Lisa Junior, was at home in Atlanta on Wednesday night, looking forward to her trip to Louisville to celebrate her birthday this weekend. She hoped she would be able to see Kevin play for Louisville in its season opener on Saturday, but she just wasn't sure.

Maybe he wasn't ready, she thought. Maybe it would be best to wait a bit longer. Then late Wednesday night she received word that Ware had entered U of L's exhibition against Pikeville. Kevin was playing. Kevin was back.

She opened her iPad and found the game online and there was her son, seven months removed from a gruesome leg fracture he sustained in the NCAA Tournament. She noticed he was sweating, which was a good sign. She thought he looked so comfortable, so at peace. She said her eyes welled with tears.

"My birthday came early," Junior said by telephone. "I couldn't ask for a better gift."

Ware played 10 minutes and had six points and four rebounds in his surprising return. He said he wasn't expecting to play. Before warmups, Louisville trainer Fred Hina taped him up and told him to put on his leg braces. But there was no indication this game would be different from the others.

Then, with just more than 14 minutes left in the second half, Cardinals coach Rick Pitino strolled toward Ware, who was sitting on the bench.

"All right, Kevin," Pitino said. "Let's go."

Ware's first thought was that he was glad he'd applied Biofreeze to keep his muscles warm. And then it was too loud to think, because as he walked toward the scorer's table, the KFC Yum! Center erupted.

Montrezl Harrell, a newly minted tri-captain on this team, wrapped his arm around Ware and whispered in his ear. He told him he didn't have anyone to impress. He told him to let the game come naturally.

Ware initially stayed on the perimeter. The crowd buzzed — and many fans stood — whenever he touched the ball. But for the first few minutes he passed the ball around.

Then with 8:30 left in the game, Ware caught a pass beyond the right arc. He lifted on that repaired right leg and his shot soared toward the rim and time seemed to stand still. Ware worried it would be an airball.

But the ball swished through the net. Of course it swished through the net. The fans went bananas.

Ware jogged back to the other end of the court, just like every other player after every other 3-pointer. And in that instant, finally, everything was back to normal.

After the broken leg and the outpouring of support, after this shy player was smothered with attention he never wanted, everything was finally back to normal.

"I want to be treated like a regular basketball player," Ware said. "That's what I came to Louisville for. That's all I really want."

The 3-pointer was impressive and it made the fans here warm and fuzzy, but the more important moment came about 30 seconds later. Ware grabbed a rebound, brought the ball upcourt and attacked.

He swirled into the lane, into traffic and trouble, and he was fouled hard. His body — including that right leg — smacked against the floor. The fans went silent. And then Ware stood back up and made a pair of free throws.

"I'm fine," Ware said. "I'm Kevin again."

Back in Georgia, his mother leaned over her iPad and her eyes welled with tears. Her baby boy was back. He was finally back.

"As a mom, I'm just so overjoyed that he is actually able to continue doing what he loves," Junior said. "Despite all the obstacles and the doubters, he's still able to do what he loves, and there was never a doubt in his mind."

Himmelsbach also writes for The Courier-Journal in Louisville.