BOSTON, Oct. 18, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Jazz fans are reacting to the gruesome injury of Gordon Hayward in what has become standard social media fashion: either positive and supportive or angry and combative posts, and few that fall between.
• “Praying for you Hayward,” one man wrote on an unrelated post on the Utah Jazz Facebook page.
• “He is a sell-out, didn’t care about SLC, and it is just a broken ankle. Who cares,” another man wrote elsewhere on the same post.
• “Poor Hayward. I hope he heals even though I wished he stayed in Utah no one deserves to get hurt,” a woman commented in a non-sequential post.
• “Now you’re all going to act like your Hayward fans again?,” another man posted. “Do you guys remember what you were saying about him on Fourth of July? It just sickens me the way you talked about him on his way out and you got your wishes great fan base we are, piss poor jazz fans.”
• “Jazz fans, you sicken me you got your wish. Brutal,” another man wrote. “There’s karma for you. Hope you’re sick.”
• “What The hell after Hayward bring back the Jazz to the Playoffs, All Utah Fans wishing Hayward to cant Play Anymore,” another man wrote. “What an Idiot FanBase.”
Hayward, 27, was just six minutes into his debut game after signing a four-year, $128 million contract with the Boston Celtics when he landed wrong on his left angle.
Hayward — who played for the Jazz for eight years before his departure — broke his tibia and dislocated his ankle, according to reports from a team spokesman.
In a video shared on Twitter by @_celticsnation_, his foot appeared to be rotated more than 45 degrees outward rather than being in its normal position, under his knee. The disturbing video can be viewed below.
Hayward was expected to undergo an MRI and CT scan on Wednesday to determine the next steps in his treatment, which are likely to include surgery.
The Utah Jazz organization was one of the first to respond to Hayward’s injury with support.
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Julian Edelman, a wide receiver for the New England Patriots and currently recovering from his own injury, a torn ACL, forwarded a quote by author/televangelist Robert Schuller.
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Stephen Curry, point guard for the Golden State Warriors, offered a hopeful wish for Haywad.
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Kobe Bryant, who retired after a 20-year basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers, offered practical and sports-savvy advice:
kobebryant Be sad. Be mad. Be frustrated. Scream. Cry. Sulk. When you wake up you will think it was just a nightmare only to realize it’s all too real. You will be angry and wish for the day back, the game back THAT play back. But reality gives nothing back and nor should you. Time to move on and focus on doing everything in your power to prepare for surgery, ask all the questions to be sure you understand fully the procedure so that you may visualize it in your subconscious while being operated on and better the chance of it’s success. Then focus on the recovery process day by day by day. It’s a long journey but if you focus on the mini milestones along the way you will find beauty in the struggle of doing simple things that prior to this injury were taken for granted. This will also mean that when you return you will have a new perspective. You will be so appreciative of being able to stand, walk, run that you will train harder than you ever have. You see the belief within you grow with each mini milestone and you will come back a better player for it. Best of luck to you on this journey my brother #mambamentalityalways.
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To see the graphic video, click on the link below:
Gordon Haywardbreaks his leg on freak accident. Prayers up for Gordon Hayward and his family????
*WARNING GRAPHIC* pic.twitter.com/863ekUO2iL— Celtics Nation (@_celticsnation_) October 18, 2017
