Connor Barwin knows how Gordon Hayward feels.
Hayward suffered a horrific injury in his Boston Celtics debut Tuesday night, suffering a dislocated ankle and a fractured tibia minutes into the regular-season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The star forward received an outpouring of thoughtful messages from fellow athletes after going down, but not many of them can understand the immense pain and emotional distress he’s going through. Barwin, on the other hand, most certainly can.
The veteran defensive end suffered a similar injury seven years ago during his time with the Houston Texans. Barwin probably would like to forget this painful moment of his life, but he shared a photo of his crooked ankle via Twitter in order to sympathize with Hayward.
Feel for ya @gordonhayward 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 First series, first game 2010…missed entire season, but haven’t missed a game since. pic.twitter.com/gTfjdtlGs3
— Connor Barwin (@ConnorBarwin98) October 18, 2017
Barwin’s post-injury longevity certainly is something Hayward can find promise in, but we imagine the 2017 NBA All-Star could have done without the photo.
Thumbnail photo via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images