USA - Ware just wants to get back to normal

LOUISVILLE (NCAA) - Kevin Ware is a name that resonates with everyone in American college basketball.

The Louisville Cardinals guard was playing on national television against Duke in a NCAA Tournament Elite Eight match-up at the end of March when he broke his leg.

The injury was gruesome, with teammates having to turn their heads and look away because the bone penetrated through the skin.

Some of them cried.

Louisville, determined to win the title for Ware, ended up beating the Blue Devils and then claimed two more victories to capture the championship.

Ware has been on the comeback trail ever since.

He returned to practice even played 10 minutes in an exhibition game for the Cardinals against Pikeville last week.

Coach Rick Pitino has kept him out the team's first couple of regular season games but the expectation is that Ware will be a part of the rotation again soon.

"Mentally, I feel pretty strong, because I haven't seen the video," Ware said.

"All I know is that I broke my leg and that's as far as it goes.

"My biggest thing is just getting back to normal."

Ware's mother, Lisa Junior, travelled from Atlanta, Georgia, to watch Ware play in the exhibition game.

She told ESPN that her son is a stronger person after fighting back from the injury.

"I believe he had a lot of decisions to make and he made them correctly," she said.

"'Am I going to give up? Am I going to stop? Is it just over? Am I going to be negative about it?'

"Or, taking on the tone and saying, 'I can do this.'

"I'm very proud of my son."

Many people reached out to Ware after the injury, including Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

The two-time Olympic champion has also been out of action and missed the start of the season through injury.

"Kobe," Ware revealed, "we actually made a bet.

"Whoever came back first will come to the other's game.

"So I need to get in touch with him so he can come to a game."

FIBA