As if the Los Angeles Lakers weren't already plagued with injuries, top rookie prospect Julius Randle has suffered a broken leg in his first ever NBA game on as the Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets Tuesday night.

It's been confirmed that Randle suffered a fractured tibia in his right leg. The injury came with only six minutes left in the fourth quarter when Randle was driving to the hoop and collided with Houston's Donatas Motiejunas.

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According to reports, players around Randle during the injury heard a pop and instantly knew something was wrong. Randle sat in pain as his leg was put into an aircast right before heading to the hospital. It's currently unknown whether he'll need surgery to repair the tibia.

Julius Randle, 19, was the seventh pick overall in the 2014 NBA Draft after a one-year stint playing at the University of Kentucky.

Randle likes to bully his way in the paint with his extreme strength for his age, so this particular injury is not a good sign for the Lakers franchise. 

He's considered by many Los Angeles fans to be a long-term key piece for the Lakers and was even considered by NBA critics to be a serious contender for the 2015 Rookie of the Year award. Randle has a number of post-moves to score around the rim and has tenacious rebounding abilities.

Kobe Bryant, who has a reputation of not giving rookies much respect, was seen talking with Randle trying to encourage him.

"I just told him to keep his spirits up," Bryant told reporters afterwards. "That's what we're here for as teammates. We're here to pick him up and get him through it."

TagsLos Angeles Lakers, Julius Randle, Top Rookie prospect, NBA injuries