‘Can’t even put into words’: Athletes, fans react to Gordon Hayward’s injury

The NBA season tipped off Tuesday and already a star player has been lost for what could be a significant amount of time.

Gordon Hayward, the swingman who left the Utah Jazz as a free agent and signed a four-year, $128 million contract with the Boston Celtics, injured his left ankle during the first quarter of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics reported that Hayward was diagnosed with a fractured left ankle, but it looked a lot worse.

Hayward was injured after jumping for an alley-oop and landing awkwardly. As he sat on the floor, his foot was pointing outward, leaving him with a look of shock. Several players from both teams were visibly shaken. Hayward’s teammates huddled in prayer.

Hayward had his left leg immobilized with a cast and was taken off the court on a gurney.

The news had other players and fans speaking out on social media:

This story was originally published October 17, 2017 at 6:18 PM with the headline "‘Can’t even put into words’: Athletes, fans react to Gordon Hayward’s injury."