
Gordon Hayward Injures Leg in First Game of Season
Source: YouTube
Source: YouTube
After signing all-star small forward Gordon Hayward and trading for point guard Kyrie Irving, the Boston Celtics were supposed to be a team talented enough to challenge LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. It looks like expectations need to be recalibrated.
Hayward fractured his left ankle on an attempted alley hoop play six minutes into the start of the NBA season. He will almost certainly miss the remainder of the 2017-18 NBA season. The injury was gruesome, and players on the court, like Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson and Dwyane Wade, instantly looked away while Hayward rolled on the floor.
\u201cCeltics' Gordon Hayward helped off by medical staff after appearing to break his ankle\u201d— Bleacher Report (@Bleacher Report) 1508286049
READ: The 10 Biggest NBA Storylines For The 2017-2018 Season
It's an unfortunate amount start for Boston and Howard, who signed a $128 million deal with the Celtics over the summer.
As soon as the injury happened, athletes sent out their support on social media:
\u201cMan, hate to see these injuries occur. Prayers up to Gordon Hayward\ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffd\u201d— James Johnson (@James Johnson) 1508290325
\u201cCan't even put into words.\nGordon Hayward.\nFeeling for you man.\nAbsolutely gut wrenching.\u201d— JJ Watt (@JJ Watt) 1508285978
\u201cMan, nothing but prayers to Gordon Hayward!\u201d— DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar DeRozan) 1508286674
READ: NBA Encourages its Players to Be More Politically Aware
The pundits also had a lot to say, including FS1 commentator Skip Bayless. He tweeted this:
\u201cIf Gordon Hayward is gone, maybe for the season, LeBron's path to losing a sixth finals gets even easier.\u201d— Skip Bayless (@Skip Bayless) 1508286813
He was instantly blasted for the comment by other players:
\u201c@RealSkipBayless You\u2019re a clown for that tweet after a man gets hurt with a potential career ending injury! Shit bigger then basketball!\u201d— Skip Bayless (@Skip Bayless) 1508286813
\u201cReally? You are a heartless Clown. Go paint your face! https://t.co/1HYNPwdw7T\u201d— Rudy Gay (@Rudy Gay) 1508287807
What an eventful start to the season. The video of the injury is below and quite graphic. So be careful.