Utah Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks suffered a gruesome leg injury during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
While Hendricks was jogging near the baseline at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, he suddenly collapsed on the track after his right leg gave out. Hendricks’ right leg appeared to simply snap at his ankle, and his foot was dangling completely the wrong way as play was quickly stopped and the training staff rushed to his side.
A stretcher was immediately brought out for him and players from both teams were clearly shaken by the incident.
The video can be seen here, but the injury is extremely graphic.
The Jazz ruled him out minutes later with a right ankle injury. The team subsequently confirmed that Hendricks had a broken right fibula and a dislocated ankle. He will return to Utah with the team and will undergo further testing on Tuesday.
It’s unclear how long Hendricks will be sidelined while he recovers, but he will certainly miss a lot of time.
“He’s a great kid, and so we’re really just trying to focus on him, on his health, and keeping his spirits up as he begins the road to recovery,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said, via Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune.
“But these are the moments in sports that suck.”
The Jazz selected Hendricks with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft out of UCF. Last season as a rookie, he averaged 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 40 games. He had 12 points and five rebounds in their season opener last week.
The Mavericks led almost the entire way on Monday night, earning a 110-102 victory over the Jazz. Kyrie Irving led the way with 23 points, and Klay Thompson added 18 points and four rebounds. Collin Sexton led the Jazz with 23 points after shooting 9-for-11 from the field. The Jazz are now 0-3 on the season. They host the Sacramento Kings in Salt Lake City next Tuesday.
