Players react to Gordon Hayward's brutal injury

Injuries are an unfortunate and regular part of sports, but when Boston Celtics star forward Gordon Hayward suffered a dislocated ankle and fractured tibia on Tuesday night, the whole world grimaced in horror.

The 27-year-old was just minutes into his debut game after signing a four-year, $128 million contract with the Celtics in July. He also happens to be a solid tennis player and was the focus of a recent Tennis Channel feature where he called himself "the best tennis player in the NBA."

NBA players—and athletes in all sports—far and wide, including Kobe Bryant, shared their best wishes and words of support with Hayward.

Nick Kyrgios, a huge Celtics fan, was one of the first in tennis to react, along with Thanasi Kokkinakis and John Isner.

ESPN commentator Pam Shriver couldn't help but relate the incident to Bethanie Mattek-Sands' gruesome knee injury at Wimbledon.

It’s yet another reminder of just how fragile an athlete’s career can be. While it’s not known to what extent the injury will affect the rest of Hayward’s career, it will likely be a long road back both physically and mentally.