As the NBA season began on October 17, there were some notable injuries on the very first day of play.  It was a discouraging season opener for the Boston Celtics and their forward Gordon Hayward, as he suffered a rather repulsive ankle injury that will likely sideline him for the entire season. Hayward had to be carted off on a stretcher after his ankle was bent in an unpleasant manner, making the crowds’ stomachs turn.  His injury is somewhat similar to the leg injury Paul George suffered while playing for the USA men’s basketball team a few years back.

Hayward suffered his injury in the the first quarter of the season opener with under seven minutes left of play.  Hayward clashed with LeBron James as he went up for an alley-oop pass.  Shortly after Heyward went down, Celtics’ and Cavs’ players began to kneel and show their concern for Hayward as he was being carted off the court.  Fans gave a standing ovation as Hayward was taken away. The Boston Celtics would go on to lose the game 102-99, giving them their first loss of the season.  In a postgame interview, Celtics’ head coach Brad Stevens would go on to say that Hayward fractured his ankle, as well as his tibia.  After the loss, Hayward was immediately flown to New England Baptist Hospital, where he would undergo immediate emergency surgery.  
Hayward’s injury will have a major impact on the Boston Celtics as well as the entire Eastern Conference.  The Boston Celtics acquired Hayward from the Utah Jazz in the offseason.  He signed a four-year contract worth a womping $128 million. They would also go on to acquire Kyrie Irving, a top ranked guard in the NBA who helped the Cavaliers bring their first NBA championship to the city of Cleveland.  Celtics’ guard Isaiah Thomas was traded for Irving in hopes that Hayward and Irving could give a needed boost to the organization.  Hayward would have played a key role in the Celtics’ success this season, alongside Kyrie Irving.  Many critics suggest the Celtics’ playoff chances are slim to none now that Hayward is gone.  It will be up to Kyrie Irving to lead his team in a competitive Eastern Conference.  With Hayward going down, it will make it extremely difficult for Boston to compete with elite teams in the Eastern Conference, most notably the Cleveland Cavaliers.  

Given the magnitude of Hayward’s injury, many players around the league expressed their sympathy for him via social media.  Players empathized with Hayward because they understand the impact this can have on a player’s career and personal life.  Paul George even sent out a tweet asking for fans to pray for Hayward, primarily because he is very familiar with this type of injury.  Brad Stevens said he and his team will continue to focus on basketball, despite the tremendous loss they have taken this season.  The Boston Celtics will resume play October 24, 2017 at 7:30 pm, as they take on the New York Knicks in TD Garden.