Thursday night will be Leon Powe’s first return to Boston since signing with the Cavaliers last summer.

It could also be the first time he plays in over 10 months.

The Celtics still appreciate Leon Powe's dedication during his career in Boston.

Powe tore the ACL in his left knee during Game 2 of the Celtics first round playoff series against the Bulls last season. That was April 20, 2009. He has not played in an NBA game since.

On Tuesday, after months of rehab, Powe was activated into the Cavaliers lineup. While he did  not get on the court, it presented the possibility for him to make his regular season debut against his former team.

Even though he is in a different uniform this time around, those who spent seasons around him expressed their best wishes for his return:

Ray Allen: “I’d be happy for him. I’d definitely be happy for him. I’m just wishing him well because how he injured himself and how everything went, I was so distraught. We all felt bad so I’d be glad to see him just lace them back up.”

Kendrick Perkins: “I’d be excited for him. Just for him to bounce back after the injury, it could have been a career-ending injury. But for him to come back and get a chance to play, I’d be happy for Leon. He’s a great guy. … He works hard. Leon’s a hard worker. He’s all basketball. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t do any of the club stuff. He’s strictly basketball.”

Tony Allen: “That’s my man. I’m happy for him. If anybody could come off injuries and play, hey, I’m all for it. I hope he gets back to where he wants to get back. That’s my man. We’ve got a friendship that’s going to last forever. He’s a championship teammate, we won it together, we threw champagne together, he understands me.”

Glen Davis: “It means a lot. He’s a great guy, and for him to have an opportunity to play and do some big things, come back from a tough knee injury, I know it means a lot to him. It’s a joy to see a guy bounce back and fight adversity and come back and be able to play. … We won a championship together. We won it together so he’s always going to be a part of that.”

Head coach Doc Rivers: “It’d be nice to see him playing basketball. I’m looking forward to it. I don’t know, except for having gone through the knee injury myself, and he’s gone through it a couple times, what he has had to go through. So I’m really looking forward to him just playing basketball again. It’ll be great. To me, it’ll be a success story  in a lot of ways because a lot of people didn’t think he could ever play again. When he got hurt, I heard that the first time. I said, ‘You clearly don’t know who Leon Powe is. That kid will always be a success story.’”

Powe averaged 6.6 points and 4.2 rebounds over three seasons for the Celtics. Last season he stepped into the starting role in place of an injured Kevin Garnett and Davis. He scored a career-high 30 points and added 11 rebounds against the Grizzlies last March.

Powe’s troubled childhood has also been chronicled as a testament to his dedication to succeed in the NBA. Click here to read more.