Outside the players and referees on the floor, one of the people nearest to Gordon Hayward during the time he suffered his gruesome injury is ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. The veteran analyst, who was apparently only around 20 feet away from him that time, gave his thoughts about witnessing it first hand.

After the game between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, the often controversial TV personality, shared the reactions he saw from the players, and also how Hayward's injury could affect his team's campaign. Like what others expressed on the night, Stephen A. Smith also said that seeing someone get hurt is the last thing he wants for any player as well.

Entering this season, Celtics fans were very optimistic that they have enough talent on their roster to win the Eastern Conference, and contend for a championship. Hayward going down only six minutes into his first game is definitely a huge blow for the team, especially with how they fought to secure the All-Star forward's services during the offseason.

If there's any silver lining for the Celtics, Jaylen Brown stepped up on Tuesday night and played one of his best games so far as a pro. Jayson Tatum was also impressive and showed that he is capable of playing a bigger role despite only being in his first year in the league. If the two can continue their strong play, they could buy time for Hayward while he recovers, and help the team's cause, although it appears like they will lose Hayward for majority, if not the entirety, of the season.