Lakers rookie Julius Randle breaks leg in NBA debut [video]

The Lakers kicked off their 2014-2015 NBA season on Tuesday night. We already anticipated that it would be a long season with Nick Young and Steve Nash out due to injury, and Kobe returning from his injuries. It would take time for the Lakers to become cohesive on the court.

One of the expected bright spots was 19-year-old rookie, Julius Randle. The expectation was that Randle would be one of this season’s bright spots. But that all changed in the 108-90 loss to the Houston Rockets.

Randle suffered a broken leg in the fourth quarter of the blowout.

“It is heartbreaking, because I saw him all summer,” coach Byron Scott said. “I saw the work that he was putting in. I saw the progression that he was making, the steps that he was taking to get better. And his first game, he goes down. I don’t think anybody in that locker room is happy about the way we played, but we’re even more saddened about the fact that we lost one of our young guys.”

Kobe also offered his support:

“Even for myself, being a veteran and dealing with something like this, it’s tough,” said Bryant, who missed most of last season with two major injuries. “For him being a 19-year-old kid, it’s tough. That’s what we’re here for. We’re here to pick him up and take it day by day.”

The official diagnosis is a fractured right tibia. Tough situation for Randle.

video via CJZero