BREAKING NEWS: Boston Celtics Star Player Involved in Car Accident; Team and Fans Await Updates on Well-Being
CLEVELAND – Just five minutes into his Boston career, Celtics rookie forward Gordon Hayward suffered a gruesome, season-ending fracture in his left ankle.Hayward, who signed a four-year, $128 million free agent contract this summer, made an ally-oop pass midway through the first quarter and collided with LeBron James. Hayward’s leg buckled under him as he returned to the floor.
The 27-year-old collapsed under the basket and watched in horror as his left leg stuck out.He put his hands over his face and fell back to the floor as silence fell on the sold-out Quicken Loans Arena stairs that haunted Kyrie Irving’s return to Cleveland after being traded to Boston this summer.
Hayward’s new teammates huddled on the bench to pray as an anguished James covered his mouth and several nearby Cleveland players looked away.
Hayward’s leg was put in an air cast and James came over and comforted him before he was lifted off the floor on a stretcher and taken away for treatment.The Cleveland crowd gave Hayward a standing ovation as he left.The Celtics later confirmed that Hawyard’s left ankle was broken.
It’s a huge blow to the Celtics, who revamped their roster with the signings of Hayward and 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 long rehab.
Hayward spent the last six seasons with the Utah Jazz before signing with Boston, where he met Brad Stevens, who coached him at Butler.Shortly after Hayward’s fall, Oklahoma City All Star Paul George sent him a message of encouragement and a plea for prayer on Twitter. George survived a similar injury when he broke his leg while playing for the US national team.
