CLEVELAND — Last night’s season opener for the Cavs was supposed to be about the showdown between LeBron James and former teammate Kyrie Irving but it was overshadowed by a gruesome injury to Celtics star Gordon Hayward who broke his left ankle five minutes into the game.
Irving missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the horn in the Celtics’ 102-99 loss and then hugged James, his teammate on three NBA Finals teams. James scored 29 points for the Cavs.
Irving asked to be traded this summer so he could get out of James’ shadow.
Hayward suffered a broken left ankle in the first quarter of his debut with Boston. Hayward fell to the floor and his left leg bent in gruesome fashion as a hush fell over Cleveland’s arena.
He was carted off the court on a stretcher with his leg in an air cast.
Hayward signed a four-year, $128 million contract with Boston in July.