Jaylen Wells’ dangerous headfirst fall has NBA twitter shaken: “No room for this in the sport.”

Jaylen Wells has been a standout second round pick for the Memphis Grizzlies in their return to being a playoff contender.

Jaylen Wells’ dangerous headfirst fall has NBA twitter shaken: “No room for this in the sport.”

Memphis Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells had to stretchered out after crashlanding on his head

The Memphis Grizzlies are on a road trip where they won their first two games. They faced the Charlotte Hornets in the last of them before they were to return home. With the playoffs on the line, Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jaylen Wells knew they were getting an easy matchup but were not ready to take chances.

They jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and looked to comfortably win the game. However, in the second quarter, the Hornets started to get hot. Knowing how a rally can upset the momentum, the Grizzlies were not willing to back down.

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That meant they were alert on transition and fast break opportunities. With a little more than one minute left before the half, the Grizzlies pounced on a fast break and sent the ball up the court. Rookie Jaylen Wells was ahead of Hornets players and received the ball looking to throw it down.

But as he jumped off the court, Hornets guard KJ Simpson inadvertently undercut Wells underneath the basket. The rookie Grizzlies guard’s hands slipped off the rim and he fell down headfirst. He tried to stop the momentum with his right hand but could not slow the impact.

Jaylen Wells was motionless and Simpson and other Hornets players gathered to check on him. Soon medical Memphis Grizzlies staff rushed on the court, but they had to call the paramedics. After eight minutes of preparation, they finally lifted him onto the stretcher with his head strapped in to restrict motion.

Fans livid at KJ Simpson’s dangerous play

Basketball fans watching this happen in real time were shaken up. They had their hands on their heads hoping Jaylen Wells was alright. But at the same time, they also were livid at KJ Simpson for this dangerous play.

There was no need to undercut a player who was already two steps ahead of him and was in the air at the time of contact. Fans believe Simpson can play basketball without looking to try and stop a player who is already in a dangerous situation. Check out some of those angry reactions below.

Officials slapped KJ Simpson with a flagrant 2 foul and ejected him. He was remorseful and was shaken up as well. His teammates knelt as paramedics worked on stabilizing Wells before lifting him up onto the stretcher. Simpson could face further reprimands from the NBA.

Jaylen Wells’ father updates on his condition

The Memphis Grizzlies were also shaken up but knew they had a job to do. They continued to play the game and ended up winning the game 124-100. However, fans were more interested to hear about any updates about the standout second round pick.

Jaylen is awake and alert. Wanted 2 know the score! Swollen wrist. Face, jaw and back pain. About to get X-ray and CT.

Fred Wells wrote

This was an update from Fred Wells, father of the Grizzlies rookie. As per his post on X, his son has regained consciousness, much to the relief of NBA fans. He is in a lot of pain but will need further checks to understand the extent of damage to body.

The Grizzlies’ form after Taylor Jenkin‘s dismissal suggests they are back on track to nail down a solid playoff spot. Considering how Jaylen Wells has been a crucial starter, the team would hope that he can recover in time for the first round.