This was heartbreaking to watch; Lakers rookie Julius Randle suffered a fractured tibia in his right leg during the season opener against the Houston Rockets and his NBA debut.
The injury happened with under 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Randle sustained the injury while driving to the hoop against Donatas Motiejunas. There didn’t appear to be any significant contact between the two players, but Randle’s left leg did make contact with his right leg as he prepared to jump. His teammates gathered around him including Kobe Bryant who tried to comfort the young rookie who was in severe pain. He was put on a stretcher with an air cast around his leg as he was wheeled off the court and headed to the hospital.
Such a sad start for the No. 7 draft pick with so much potential who was so exciting to play for the Lakers and learn from Kobe Bryant. Hopefully he recovers quickly and is able to come back strong.
