Chris Paul on Julius Randle injury: ‘I hate it for him’

When Lakers’ rookie power forward Julius Randle broke his leg in his debut Tuesday, players around the league breathed a collective sigh.

Randle is 19. It was his first game in the NBA. He’s likely out for the season.

Said Clippers star point guard Chris Paul: “You could tell he was sort of in shock, and for him to be as talented as he is, for your opening game of your NBA career, for that to happen, I hate it for him.”

Paul said that suffering a season-ending injury is his worst fear as an NBA player.

“No question,” Paul said. “I don’t think people realize how much guys love to play this game, so for that to be taken away because of injury is always tough to deal with.”

Clippers’ center DeAndre Jordan added that he tries not to think about getting injured.

“You can’t think about getting injured or think about what could happen because that’s usually when things happen,” Jordan said. “You just got to play. If it happens, it happens, but you can’t control it.”

The Clippers are mostly healthy entering their season opener Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Glen “Big Baby” Davis, who has a strained groin, is the only player who is unlikely to play.

But as Tuesday night showed, freak accidents can happen at any moment.

“That broke my heart, it really did,” Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said, adding, “I have a son in the NBA, and that was my first thought. Man, to have a rookie, your first game, and the team leaves that night to go on the road, and you’re just sitting in the hospital by yourself, honestly, that really tugged at me.”