University of Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware suffered an open fracture of his right leg during Sunday’s Midwest Regional final that left his teammates and coach in tears.
Ware, a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, was contesting an outside shot right in front of his own team’s bench when he landed awkwardly and his leg buckled, bending almost at a right angle.
Ware, 20, was taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis after the game to repair the fracture. School officials said the leg, broken in two places, was reset and a rod inserted into his right tibia. ESPN reported Ware will remain in Indianapolis until at least Tuesday.
Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said Ware immediately though about his team the moments after sustaining the injury. Ware told the team that he would be fine and to win the game, according to Pitino.
“The bone’s 6 inches out of his leg and all he’s yelling is, ‘Win the game, win the game,’” Pitino said after the game. “I’ve not seen that in my life. … Pretty special young man.”
Pitino said Ware will need a year to recover from the injury before returning to basketball.
Louisville drew inspiration from Ware’s message and rolled over Duke, 85-63, in the Midwest Regional at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Cardinals will play Wichita State in the Final Four next Saturday.
The injury was so gruesome that CBS decided to halt replays of the injury after showing it two times.
The brutal mishap occ.