Sports: NBA stars offered prayers and support after Gordon Hayward's horrific injury

Athletes took to Twitter to offer prayers and support after Gordon Hayward went down with a horrific injury in the first game of the 2017-18 NBA season

Coming into Tuesday night, basketball fans across the country were filled with excitement, waiting to get their first look at the newly revamped Celtics team take on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Unfortunately, after tipoff, that excitement quickly turned to dread as Gordon Hayward went down with a severe broken ankle just minutes into his first game with Boston.

The injury was gruesome, as evidenced by the reactions coming from the Cavaliers bench in the immediate aftermath of the injury. The response on social media was swift as well, with NBA players taking to Twitter to share their prayers and support of Hayward, and wish him well in recovery.

Many of the players giving their support have suffered dramatic injuries themselves, including Paul George and Houston Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt.

Additionally, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that Cavaliers star LeBron James went back into the locker room where Hayward was being treated shortly after the injury.

Moments like this show what a tight family of players the NBA is no matter the score of any particular game.

Athletes took to Twitter to offer prayers and support after Gordon Hayward went down with a horrific injury in the first game of the 2017-18 NBA season Read Full Story