Adam Himmelsbach | Kevin Ware moving on, not forgetting
The finality hit Kevin Ware last week as he sat in his dorm room and realized it was time to pack, time to go home, time to move on. He was surrounded by relics from his time at the University of Louisville.
There were all of his Cardinals basketball jerseys. There was one of the nets from the 2013 national championship game. There was a drawing that depicted Ware lying on the court during the regional final against Duke, his right leg split in two from the horrifying fall we all remember. He was looking up at his teammates, clenching their hands as if he did not want to let go.
"There are too many memories here for me to forget about this place," Ware said softly. "Leaving here is one of the toughest things I've had to do in my life."
The junior guard returned home to Atlanta on Sunday. He is transferring to Georgia State, and he remains hopeful the NCAA will grant him a waiver to play next season.
He leaves behind a complicated legacy at U of L. His grisly injury was the defining moment of that NCAA Tournament, but it might also be the defining moment of Ware's life.
He had, in essence, become a global celebrity for getting hurt. He was invited to the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where he met President Obama. He befriended celebrities such as Kobe Bryant. He gained more than 100,000 Twitter followers.
Initially it was flattering. But then it became suffocating. On campus, Ware sought out hidden routes to classes and the gym so he could avoid inevitable questions about the leg, and pictures with the leg, and everything about the leg.
"I stayed in my room as much as I could, honestly," he said. "If I didn't have to leave the house or be somewhere, I'd just stay in and watch Netflix. Everybody always asking, everybody wanting to have conversations about it. Like, why can't we just have a conversation about basketball?"
Ware's injury was expected to sideline him for 6-12 months. On Nov. 6 he made a surprising and emotional return in an exhibition game against Pikeville, swishing a 3-pointer on his first shot. But then things began to unravel.
Ware received attention after missing a Nov. 18 court date for a reckless-driving charge. On Dec. 17 he was sidelined after being kicked in his repaired right leg during a game against Missouri State. After working diligently to return, he admits he was so frustrated by that setback that he handled it poorly.
"It was a bad year, honestly," Ware said. "I feel like I was mentally a lot stronger when I knew I could come back, and when I got hit again and (coaches and trainers) were saying I might want to sit out, it was just a lot of disappointment. Just sitting there not being able to help, not being able to do too much except be vocal. And that sucked. It really got to a point where I was just like, 'Man, this is crazy.' I was out of it mentally."
Ware gradually stopped attending practices and games. He said he met with coach Rick Pitino sometime in January, and they agreed then that it would be best for him to continue his career elsewhere. Ware said the decision remained under wraps until season's end because the team did not need a distraction. He added that the perception that he and Pitino had a rocky relationship is inaccurate, saying that Pitino has "probably been the most helpful out of anybody."
"I just feel like me leaving is a fresh start," Ware said. "I know a lot of people think of me and think of the leg. But, I mean, I play basketball. I don't want to be known as a guy who just played for Louisville and got hurt."
He is glad his second chance will come in a familiar place. Georgia State is a 30-minute drive from his mother's house. He has sisters, stepbrothers and nieces nearby and can't wait for their visits to become more frequent. He can't wait for the comforts of a home-cooked meal. "It'd probably be good for me to gain some weight," he said with a chuckle.
Back in Georgia, Ware said, he's able to just be Kevin again, and that is what has become most important.
But just because he is starting a new chapter does not mean he will forget the one that just ended. He still wears his national title ring and displays his U of L mementos proudly. He does not want to wear No. 5 at Georgia State because "Louisville made that number for me."
"This is so tough, honestly," Ware said. "I've met so many people and been through so much and grown up so much in Louisville. Everything that happened to me there, I wouldn't take it back. It's made me a man."
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at 502-582-4372 by email ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com and on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach