Kevin Ware of Louisville tweets he’ll ‘be back by next season’

Kevin Ware was a busy guy on Monday.

After having surgery on his broken right leg the night before, the Louisville guard spent part of the day up and about on crutches at the advice of his doctors. He entertained numerous visitors, including Coach Rick Pitino and NCAA President Mark Emmert, and received a phone call from Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Somehow he managed to spend some time on Twitter ... a lot of time, actually, thanking all of his well-wishers -- who included NBA stars Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace of the Lakers, DeAndre Jordan of the Clippers, LeBron James of the Miami Heat and Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, as well as rapper Lil’ Wayne -- often with individual messages of gratitude.

“I’m thankful for all the support I’m receiving right now,� Ware tweeted. “Never thought I’d be the talk of the country.�

Of course, many people across the country have seen Ware’s horrific injury -- except Ware himself, who won’t watch the video but has seen graphic photos of his leg with two bones sticking about six inches out of his skin.

One of the most gruesome injuries ever shown on live TV during a sporting event came on a routine play during the Cardinals’ Elite 8 game against Duke. Ware went up to block a shot and landed in an awkward position, causing two bones to snap.

“I should of blocked that shot tho. Lol,� he joked on Twitter.

Ware seems determined to stay upbeat during the long road to recovery, tweeting, “ill be back by next season.� He told the New York Daily News in a phone interview Monday that the outpouring of support has definitely helped keep his spirits up.

“It’s big just knowing that you have people all over the world in your corner,� Ware said. “It’s big for you and you can’t be negative in that situation.�

He added: “This is a minor setback for a major comeback. I have to have the right approach to it. They told me things are gonna be good for me. This is not a lifetime injury where I can never play basketball again.�

ALSO:

Kevin Ware could be back on Louisville’s bench for Final Four

Louisville’s Kevin Ware breaks leg trying to block shot [Video]

For Louisville, injury leads to inspiration in NCAA win over Duke