Devastating scenes at the American Airlines Center. Being stretchered off the court is one of the worst moments for any player. And it has just happened. The Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks appears to have suffered a gruesome injury to his right leg. With roughly six minutes remaining in the third quarter and the Jazz behind 64-59, the hooper suddenly fell to the floor. As he sprinted down the right side of the court during an offensive play for the Jazz, it seemed like his right leg gave out, causing him to collapse.

Taylor Hendricks fell to the floor near the baseline under the Jazz’s basket, without any contact. However, his foot twisted in a very awkward position as he went down. The game had to be paused as medical staff stretchered him off the court.

Just 2 quarters ago, Hendricks was flying high on the court. In the first quarter, he set up his teammate Walker Kessler for a dunk. While he couldn’t score buckets for himself in the first quarter, he had 2 assists and an offensive rebound. Taylor even took on the gigantic task of guarding Luka Doncic. Standing at 6-foot-9, Hendricks, selected as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft, is playing a crucial role in the Jazz’s rebuilding efforts. But today’s freak accident has stunned the life out of everyone who watched the game.

Fans stunned after the Taylor Hendricks setback, Klay Thompson was spotted reflecting in silence…

Klay Thompson was in his seat. Towel around his neck, hands on his face and just quietly thinking about the ramifications. He knows that bad feeling better than anyone else and the levels of rehab it will take to make a comeback. The Splash Bro was sidelined for 941 days when he suffered from his knee injury. The veteran hooper looked deeply saddened by what had happened to the 20-year-old.

Taylor Hendricks’ teammates who train with him, spending most of their time together, can also be seen weeping. An injury like this is saddening, and it’s one of those moments that unites everyone. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, who is on the opposite side of the hardwood, gave the injured hooper a pat on the shoulder. They’re rivals on the court, but off the court, they’re only humans after all.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN has provided a few details on the injury. “Sources: Jazz F Taylor Hendricks suffered a fractured right fibula and dislocated ankle. He will return to Utah with the team for further testing tomorrow.”

Reacting to the gruesome injury, a netizen wrote, “Heartbreaking.” A 20-year-old suffering an injury of that magnitude, while there’s no official confirmation yet does not look good. For sure, it’s going to be heartbreaking, whether you support another team, or not. Another fan tweeted, “OMG I just saw the Taylor Hendricks injury, horrible. That sucks so much man I feel so bad for him.”

A user wrote, “That Taylor Hendricks injury has to be the strangest injury I’ve ever seen”. It did look strange because he went down on his own. There was no contact. A collapse without contact which caused 2 impairments is shocking, for sure.

Dr. Evan Jones, an NBA injury insider, tweeted “Only optimism after seeing the injury is it wasn’t the tibia (which is the main weight bearing bone compared to fibula). Once he has the ankle reset they will determine if surgery is warranted which will determine time of healing. Looking at months not weeks.”

As we await clarity on the hooper’s situation, Brian Sutterer, a popular doc in NBA circles, has confirmed, “It’s definitely not the end of his career, but absolutely can have an impact on your function when you’re playing at that high of a level.”

We too certainly hope it’s not the end of his career doc, get well soon, Taylor Hendricks.