CHICAGO — Gordon Hayward, the new star player for the Celtics, horrifically shattered his left ankle just five minutes into his Boston career. This injury might potentially finish his season.
Midway through the first quarter, Hayward—who this summer inked a four-year, $128 million free agent contract—went up for an alley-oop pass and ran into LeBron James. When Hayward hit the floor again, his leg twisted beneath him. The 27-year-old passed out.
Under the basket and gasped when he saw that his left foot was pointed out.
When a quiet descended upon the energised sellout crowd in Quicken Loans Arena—which had assembled to jeer Kyrie Irving upon his return to Cleveland following his trade to Boston this summer—he put his hands to his face and slid back to the ground.
While some Cleveland players glanced away and a distraught James covered his mouth, Hayward’s new teammates gathered around their bench in prayer. James visited Hayward after his leg was fitted for an air cast and comforted him. Hayward was then wheeled off the floor onto a stretcher and transferred to the hospital.
As he exited, Hayward received a thunderous ovation from Cleveland’s audience.
It’s a devastating blow for the Celtics, who had overhauled their roster with the signing of Hayward and acquisition of Irving in hopes of closing the gap on the Cavs in the Eastern Conference. Now, they will be without Hayward for an extended period of time as he will likely need surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation. The Celtics later confirmed that Hawyard’s left ankle was broken.
Before joining Boston, Hayward played for the Utah Jazz for the previous six seasons. There, he reconnected with Brad Stevens, his Butler coach.
Oklahoma City All-Star Paul George wished Hayward well and requested prayers on Twitter shortly after he went down. A similar injury was overcome by George when he shattered his leg while competing for the United States national team.
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