BASKETBALL fans and a host of NBA stars were left stunned on Tuesday as Boston Celtics’ Gordon Hayward suffered a horrific ankle injury.
The 27-year-old former Utah Jazz ace was only five minutes into his debut when the gruesome accident occurred following a collision with Cleveland Cavaliers icon LeBron James.
Hayward was left with a dislocated left ankle and a fractured tibia as coaching staff, both sets of players and the world watched on live TV in horror as the forward’s foot pointed outward.
He had gone up for an alley-opp pass when he connected with James midway through the first quarter.
His leg had got twisted underneath him as he landed, causing him to collapse under the basket.
Hayward, who signed a four-year £97m free agent contract with the Celtics in the summer, understandably could not bear to look – and neither could those nearby on the bench.
He immediately put his hands to his face and dropped back to lay prone on the floor as an eerie hush fell over the sold out crowd at the Quicken Loans Arena.
His new team-mates, some in tears, quickly gathered together to pray at their bench.
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A distressed James covered his mouth in dismay as several of his Cleveland colleagues looked away.
Following lengthy-treatment, Hayward had his leg placed into an air cast before James came over to console him.
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He was then stretchered out of the arena to a roaring ovation by those in attendance before heading off to hospital.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens said: “You hurt for him. It’s a tough, tough deal, but I guess that’s part of the risk of injury. I really feel for him.”
The legendary James took to social media later afterwards to wish Hayward a speedy-recovery.
He wrote: “My thoughts and prayers go out to Gordon’s family. Hope for a speedy recovery, a healthy recovery.
“Those are the injuries that you never see coming, you never want to happen, no matter who it is, no matter what the stature, no matter how much competitive nature that you have. It’s just very unfortunate.”
The Boston Celtics confirmed that he had suffered a broken ankle.
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