For any athlete, seeing anyone fall from a gruesome sight brings down the walls of competition. Gordon Hayward saw his new journey as a Boston Celtic kick off on a sour note, suffering a broken ankle right in the very first quarter of their match against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The incident was purely accidental. Hayward was trying to catch an alley-oop pass from Kyrie Irving and landed unnaturally, AFP reported. Players from both sides turned their backs, unable to bear the sight while others knelt and prayed for the all-star forward as the Quicken Loans Arena went silent after that unfortunate mishap.

Ceasefire in the midst of adversity

The attention in the matchup was all about Kyrie Irving and his return to Cleveland. With a colorful offseason that saw the former Cavs star guard wanting a trade, fans on hand and watching on television were eager to see how “Uncle Drew” could perform with his new team.

That plot vanished after six minutes when Hayward suffered the forgettable injury. The Cavs went on to win the matchup (102-99) though most were more concerned about the status of the 27-year-old player.

Other NBA players immediately sent their well-wishes to Hayward. That included Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder who offered support through social media.

To recall, George suffered a right leg fracture in August 2014 during a US national team intrasquad scrimmage in Las Vegas, ESPN reported.

The 27-year-old was kept out of NBA action but worked his way back into shape.

James consoles Hayward

While various athletes were sending their well-wishes through social media, LeBron James of the Cavaliers gave Hayward a firm handshake as a gesture of support. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, James even went to the Cavs locker room to check on Gordon.

The mishap will be a big blow to the Boston Celtics 2017-18 NBA campaign. The acquisition of Irving and Hayward have unquestionably upped the chances of the Celtics with most more concerned about the chemistry head coach Brad Stevens had to work on.

Now, Irving will have to take the lead and hope other teammates step up in place of the injured Hayward. Other players who may need to play harder include Al Horford, Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum.

The fact that they lost only be three to the Cavs despite being a man down should speak well in Boston. The Celtics have a long season ahead with Stevens needing to tweak his game plans after losing one of his star players.

For now, NBA fans want to know the full state of health of the 6-foot-8 Hayward. An official update is expected to be announced in the coming days. For those who missed that play, check out the video below.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED