The 25 Greatest Sports Careers Ruined by Injury

What could've been.

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Complex Original

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Injuries and sports go hand in hand. Sometimes we see our favorite heroes fall from grace, not by their own doing, but by unfortunate circumstances. Grant Hill is a prime example. He was a do-it-all point forward for the Detroit Pistons well on his way to a Hall of Fame career. But, nagging ankle injuries plagued him for the better part of four years and he was never able to recover. Grant turns 40 today, so we decided to look back at careers cut short due to injury. There were guys like Penny Hardaway and Tracy McGrady who would've been sure fire Hall of Famers if injuries didn't get the best of them. Then you have all time greats like the god Bobby Orr and "The Left Hand of God" aka Sandy Koufax that made their mark regardless of career-ending injuries. So, prepare to shed true thug tears and check out The 25 Greatest Sports Careers Ruined by Injury.

25. Jay Williams

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24. Danny Manning

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23. Bernard King

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22. Bo Jackson

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21. Yao Ming

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20. Maureen Connolly

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19. Larry Johnson

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18. Pete Maravich

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17. Bobby Orr

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16. Earl Campbell

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15. Sidney Crosby

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14. Tracy McGrady

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13. Ken Griffey Jr.

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12. Sterling Sharpe

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11. Bill Walton

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10. Terrell Davis

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9. Brandon Roy

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8. Penny Hardaway

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7. Sandy Koufax

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6. Grant Hill

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5. Tony Conigliaro

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4. Monica Seles

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3. Ralph Sampson

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2. Gale Sayers

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1. Maurice Stokes

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