Below is a video of Kevin Ware’s injury. Warning: The following video is extremely graphic.
Earlier today, Louisville Cardinals player Kevin Ware suffered a horrific leg injury in a game against Duke in the Elite Eight of the 2013 NCAA March Madness tournament. Instantly, Ware became a trending topic on Twitter, and the outpouring of support for the young athlete came flooding in. Here’s are five fast facts you need to know about Kevin Ware’s injury.
1. Ware’s Leg Snapped on National TV; Teammates & Fans Were Traumatized
Kevin Ware was guarding Tyler Thornton of Duke when Thornton was left wide open for a three point shot. Thornton drained the three and Ware jumped up and tried to contest the shot, but landed awkwardly on his right leg. As you can see in the video above (scroll to top), Ware’s leg broke in two places and the bone was visible for the viewers at home and in the arena. Trainers covered the injury with towels due to the graphic nature of the accident. Then, the game stopped and CBS cut to a heartbreaking shot of Ware’s Louisville teammates breaking down on the court after witnessing Ware’s gruesome injury.
Rick Pitino, the legendary Louisville coach, was seen with watery eyes on the sidelines after the accident. Similarly, Ware’s teammates were visibly emotional.
2. His Recovery Could Take One Year
After the play, Ware was transported to a hospital after leaving the court on a stretcher. Tracy Wolfson of CBS reported — which was also confirmed by the team — that Ware suffered a broken leg and had been transported to a Methodist Hospital near Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. According to SB Nation, Ware broke his leg in two places and the recovery process could take up to a year.
3. It Has Been Called the “Worst Injury in a Basketball Game”
After the injury, CBS’s Jim Nantz said, “I don’t know if in basketball I’ve ever seen one like that.” Other sports writers and analysts agreed on Twitter.
Worst thing I’ve ever seen on a basketball court.
— Pat Forde (@YahooForde) March 31, 2013
That’s about the most gruesome injury I’ve seen in a basketball game.
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) March 31, 2013
4. Ware Gave a Selfless Message to His Teammates, Who Went on to Win the Game
According to Business Insider, Kevin Ware gave his teammates an inspirational message as he was lying on the court. Even though Ware couldn’t talk to his teammates long, he reportedly told them, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay, you guys go win this thing.” After the emotional exchange, Louisville came from behind to beat Duke 85-63 and advance to the Final Four in the 2013 NCAA March Madness Tournament.
5. Joe Theisman & Thousands of Fans Shared Support on Twitter
After the injury, Kevin Ware quickly became a trending topic on Twitter. Athletes and fans alike have been tweeting about Kevin Ware and wishing him the best. Joe Theismann, who suffered a major leg injury on national TV himself while playing for the Washington Redskins, tweeted:
Watching Duke/ Louisville my heart goes out to Kevin Ware.
— Joe Theismann (@Theismann7) March 31, 2013
Here are some other tweets from fans and athletes:
Still thinking about Louisville’s Kevin Ware. Tough kid, teammate. Classy move by teammates to leave a seat open, bring back his jersey.
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) April 1, 2013
And my thoughts and prayers to Kevin Ware!
— Seth Curry (@sdotcurry) April 1, 2013
I can’t even get myself together. I don’t even wanna watch the rest of this game. His life just change
— Michael Bush (@michaelbush29) March 31, 2013
Louisville’s Chane Behanan wearing Kevin Ware’s #5 jersey as time expires in Cardinals’ win. Rick Pitino: “we won this for him”.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 31, 2013
Both #KevinWare and #PrayforWare were trending topics on Twitter after the injury occurred. Meanwhile, there are a number of fake Twitter accounts and images “from the hospital” that are circulating on Twitter.