The Biggest NBA Career Comebacks

From Baylor to Amar'e, these are the players who enjoyed the best NBA careers after suffering a major injury.

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Complex Original

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Not every NBA career goes exactly as planned. Everybody enters the league planning to be a Hall of Famer, but obviously that isn’t going to happen; the best outcome a player can hope for is a long, healthy career, but that too is a rare feat. Indeed, it’s often injuries that irreparably damage serious talent or bring a career to an end entirely.

That has been the fear with 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose, who this summer has looked fantastic as he looks to return to full strength following two major knee injuries that have limited him to just 10 games over the last two seasons. His USA Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has said that Rose looks “exceptional in every way” and “elite,” a good sign that the Bulls will soon reap the rewards of having one of their stars back on the floor full time.

The precedent is there for Rose to continue to perform at a top level even though he’s had some setbacks early in his career. History indicates that, especially if it happens when the player is young, a major injury does not spell doom for an NBA career. It’s entirely possible to return to an All-Star level, or in some cases G.O.A.T. level. As Rose continues to improve and look like the D-Rose of old, here are The Biggest NBA Career Comebacks.

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15. Jamal Crawford

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14. Michael Jordan

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13. Chris Paul

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12. Baron Davis

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11. Al Jefferson

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10. Antonio McDyess

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9. Channing Frye

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8. Kyle Lowry

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7. Willis Reed

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6. Adrian Dantley

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5. Grant Hill

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4. Amar'e Stoudemire

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3. Shaun Livingston

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2. Bernard King

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1. Elgin Baylor

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