In his NBA debut, Julius Randle, the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers, broke a leg–literally.
The injury occurred on a Randle drive to the basket late in the game. Randle’s leg didn’t come into contact with any but his own. He collapsed and writhed in pain as the Staples Center audience quieted.
The Lakers say Randle broke his tibia. The team expects him to miss the remainder of his rookie season.
The power forward out of Kentucky scored two points in fourteen minutes of play in his NBA debut. The Houston Rockets defeated Los Angeles 108-90 in the season opener.