LeBron recounts Bogut's leg injury: 'I heard it crack'

Andrew Bogut's Cleveland Cavaliers debut lasted all of 58 seconds Monday before he suffered a fractured left tibia in a collision with Miami Heat forward Okaro White. The scene was gruesome, as described by LeBron James.

"As soon as the collision happened, I heard it break," James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "And when I went over to him and he said (it was broken), I already knew it. I heard it crack. It took the air out of the whole building."

Spirits were high in Cleveland after adding Deron Williams and Bogut from the buyout market to replenish the depth lost from last year's title squad. James had clamored for the Cavaliers to add a playmaker for months, and general manager David Griffin delivered by bringing in two veterans at a discounted price.

Bogut was jovial before his debut. The hulking Aussie made jokes about Vladimir Putin and Matthew Dellavedova, and shared how his new teammates had pranked him with an altered jersey before what looked to be a sure win over a sub-.500 club.

But any good vibes quickly faded after Bogut got hurt. The Cavaliers looked shell-shocked and trailed by double digits for most of their loss to the Heat.

"It's very deflating ... a tough moment. We all were excited about the acquisition and bringing him in here," James said. "We can hope for the best ... but it's a tough one not only for him, first of all, but for our ballclub."