A History of NBA Careers Ruined by Injury

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Career years: 1974-1987

Career stats: 13.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.2 BPG

Team(s): Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics

After being drafted No. 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers, Bill Walton came into the NBA as a rebounding machine who eventually led the team to a title in 1977, winning Finals MVP that year and NBA MVP the following season. However, foot and ankle injuries plagued him the rest of his career, and he was never on the court long enough to replicate his MVP-winning form. He ended up resurrecting his career briefly with the Celtics, winning a title and the Sixth Man of the Year award in 1986. Even with the injuries, Walton's college career and his short NBA tenure were good enough to get him into the Hall of Fame.

Career years: 1955-1958

Career stats: 16.4 PPG, 17.3 RPG, 5.3 APG

Team(s): Rochester/Cincinnati Royals

There probably aren't a lot of people who know about Maurice Stokes, but he was functionally the Dwight Howard of the 1950s. He dominated for three seasons with the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals, averaging an incredible 16.4 points, 17.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game despite standing at just 6’7”. His career was cut extremely short, however, after he landed on his head during a game. He stayed in the game and a couple days later was taken to the hospital and fell into a coma. He was diagnosed with post traumatic encephalopathy, which left him paralyzed and eventually took his life in 1970. Had he stayed healthy, Stokes would have eventually teamed up with Oscar Robertson to form one of the greatest 1-2 punches in NBA history and serve as a worthy adversary to Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.

Career years: 1994-2013

Career stats: 16.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Team(s): Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers

Grant Hill has arguably one of the greatest “what if” NBA stories we've ever seen. The NBA was grasping for an heir-apparent to Michael Jordan, and with his penchant for triple-doubles (he logged 29 from his rookie year through 1999-2000) Hill looked like he may fit the bill. After being named an All-Star in five of his first six seasons and signing a huge deal to go to Orlando, it looked like we were about to enter the Grant Hill Era of NBA basketball. Instead, Hill would play just 200 games over the next seven years, and when he finally returned he was no longer the superstar who young fans had grown to adore. He was merely a solid role player, certainly nothing to laugh at but far from the guy it looked like he was going to become.

Career years: 1987-1993

Career stats: 17.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Team(s): Boston Celtics

One of the saddest NBA stories in recent memory, the Boston Celtics’ Reggie Lewis was blossoming into a superstar when he tragically died during the summer of 1993 due to a previously misdiagnosed heart condition. Lewis was coming off of back-to-back 20-plus point seasons as he supplanted Larry Bird as the Celtics’ go-to player, and at 27 years old figured to have a long career still ahead of him. He was an All-Star in 1992, and was one of the few people in the league who defensively could keep up with Michael Jordan. His number now hangs in the TD Garden rafters as a tribute to a player who was bound for stardom but instead saw his life tragically cut short.

Career years: 1997-2013

Career stats: 19.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Team(s): Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs

This was a real debate some of you might remember having about a decade ago: Who you got? Tracy McGrady or Kobe Bryant? Today, well…not so much. Kobe has five rings and an MVP; T-Mac has one Finals appearance as a bench warmer on the 2013 Spurs. Back in 2003, however, the debate actually had some legs. T-Mac was doing something new and different every single night, from dropping 13 points in 35 seconds to alley-ooping to himself. Unfortunately, the ever-nagging back spasms, shoulder issues, and knee injuries (including eventual microfracture surgery) took their toll, robbing McGrady of his signature explosiveness.

Career years: 2006-2013

Career stats: 18.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Team(s): Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves

Brandon Roy was on his way to becoming one of the 10 best players in the NBA when a degenerative condition in his knees began to slow him down. The primary reason he dropped in the draft, Roy’s troublesome knees were gradually eroding as the cartilage wore away with the grind of an NBA season, and after three All-Star seasons in a row from 2008 to 2010 Roy hit a complete wall. He played in 47 games in 2011, retiring after the season. After extensive rehab and rest he attempted a comeback for the 2012-13 season, but he lasted just five games with the Timberwolves before being waived and retiring for good.

Career years: 1977-1993

Career stats: 22.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Team(s): New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Washington Bullets

To hear Knicks fans tell it, Bernard King is one of the five best players ever. And when King had it going, it would be tough to argue with them; few people in NBA history have had the raw talent for putting the ball in the hoop that King possessed. However, we’ll never really know how great King could have been thanks to a torn ACL late in the 1985 season. After an arduous rehab, King returned a decent but damaged player, still able to score thanks to his incredible talent but robbed of the incredible athleticism that made him so dangerous. Deservedly, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year.

Career years: 2002-2011

Career stats: 19.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.9 BPG

Team(s): Houston Rockets

While there was a lot of awe and wonder about whether Yao Ming could actually play, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 quickly put that to rest when he got on the floor. Standing at 7’6” but possessing a delicate touch around the rim, Yao made the All-Rookie team and for his career was a part of five All-NBA squads. Just as he was entering his prime, though, he developed osteomyelitis in his big toe, sidelining him for a good portion of his fourth season. He also endured a broken bone in his foot, a broken knee, and microfracture surgery in his left foot. When he was healthy Yao was almost unstoppable, and had he been able to stay on the court he might have gone down as one of the best big men ever.

Career years: 1993-2007

Career stats: 15.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Team(s): Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Miami Heat

Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway took the league by storm as a rookie, proving to be a matchup nightmare at the guard position thanks to his 6’7” frame. Running with Shaquille O’Neal, Hardaway was a gifted ball handler who also had the type of explosive athleticism reminiscent of a young Kobe Bryant. However, after making four All-Star teams in a row, a serious left knee injury suffered early in 1998 cut him down for the year just when his team needed him most, and that knee would require another four surgeries and deprive Hardaway of his incredible athleticism for the rest of his career.

Career years: 1979-1992

Career stats: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG

Team(s): Boston Celtics

Larry Bird cracks this list despite playing 13 seasons for the Celtics and putting together one of the greatest careers in NBA history. His stubbornness and iron will meant that he played at least 36 minutes per game all but one season of his career, despite spending nights in traction at the hospital due to a horrifically bad back. Only twice in his storied career did he fail to score more than 20 points per game (and in one of those years he only played six games), but by the end of his career he simply couldn’t stay on the court. Many Celtics fans wonder how Bird’s career would have been different if Len Bias hadn’t died in 1986, as Bias would have been able to absorb some of Bird’s offensive load.

Career years: 1970-1980

Career stats: 24.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Team(s): Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans/Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics

“Pistol” Pete Maravich was one of the most gifted scorers ever to play in the NBA. After putting up 44 points per game in college, Maravich entered the league ready to unleash the fury. He averaged 23.1 PPG his rookie year, and upped that to a career high of 31.1 by the 1976-77 season. Suffering from a lack of talent around him, Pistol stole the show for the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Jazz until injuries to his knees left him missing major stretches of the 1975-76 and 1977-78 seasons. He still managed to put up solid numbers during the time he actually made it onto the court, but there's just no knowing how great he might have been without the setbacks.

Career years: 2002-Present

Career stats: 20.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG

Team(s): Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks

If you turn on a Knicks game this year, you’ll likely see what looks like a 55 year old man wearing rec specs dragging a bum leg up and down the court. That would be Amar’e Stoudemire, one of the best big men of his generation whose terrible knee problems have long been a problem in his career and now have him on the cusp of being out of the NBA entirely. The athleticism, power, and work ethic he displayed in Phoenix prior to his 2005 microfracture surgery made him one of the most tantalizing bigs in the NBA. Even with the Knicks, he showed flashes of that ability, especially before the Carmelo Anthony trade. However, these last few seasons have been hard to watch as he tries to salvage his career at just 31 years old.

Career years: 1993-2008

Career stats: 20.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.4 BPG

Team(s): Golden State Warriors, Washington Bullets/Wizards, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons

Not too many players have come into the NBA with the hype, talent, and expectations that Chris Webber did in 1993. After two years at Michigan, C-Webb was drafted first overall by the Magic, then dealt to Golden State for Penny Hardaway. His talent was undeniable, and he won the Rookie of the Year award with an outstanding first season as a Warrior thanks to his athleticism, post game, incredible midrange shooting stroke, and some of the best passing ever seen from the big man positions. He battled injuries throughout his career, though, averaging just 55 games per season and seeing the 76 games in which he appeared during his rookie year proving to be the most he’d ever play in a season.

Career years: 1987-2000

Career stats: 17.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Team(s): Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns

Before he was the mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson was one of the best point guards of his generation. After being traded to Phoenix during his rookie year, KJ quickly blossomed with the Suns and emerged as one of the bright young talents in the entire league; over his first four years in Phoenix, he averaged 21.2 points and 11.1 assists per game, making two All-Star teams. In an injury almost too strange to contemplate, though, he suffered a hernia when he tried to lift obese teammate Oliver Miller off the ground during a preseason game, and over the next four years he would miss a total of 109 games with various muscle strains just as Charles Barkley was arriving. Could they have challenged Jordan’s Bulls with KJ at full strength? Most likely.

Career years: 1983-1991

Career stats: 15.4 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.6 BPG

Team(s): Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Washington Bullets

There aren't a lot of 7’4” guys walking around on Earth, let alone guys that size that can actually competently play basketball. Ralph Sampson was one of them. After dominating at Virginia, Sampson took his talents to the Rockets and played all 82 games in each of his first two seasons, averaging 21.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. After the Rockets drafted Hakeem Olajuwon in 1985 they immediately became contenders, teaming up their two seven-footers and reaching the Finals in 1986. However, soon thereafter Sampson began to suffer from nagging knee and back problems that limited his ability around the hoop and ultimately forced him to retire at age 31.

Career years: 1986-1994

Career stats: 18.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Team(s): Cleveland Cavaliers

Before LeBron James came around, Brad Daugherty held the title of greatest Cavalier ever as he proved prognosticators right upon being selected No. 1 overall in the 1986 draft. He was a legit center with real big man moves and a tenacity that rivaled the game’s best, and from the start he was a very effective player. Despite nagging back injuries that ultimately cut his career short after just eight years, Daugherty averaged 19.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for his career and retired as the all-time leading scorer in franchise history.

Career years: 1988-2003

Career stats: 14.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Team(s): Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons

The expectations that come with being a No. 1 overall draft pick put a ton of pressure on a player from the moment he first puts on an NBA jersey, and until recently being with the Clippers often made you doomed to fail from the start. Danny Manning came out of Kansas a hero and the face of the “Danny and the Miracles” squad that shocked the nation to win the national championship, only to tear his ACL 26 games into his rookie season. After blossoming into an All-Star in 1993 and 1994, Manning’s knees began to wear down and by 1995 he was forced into a reserve role if he wanted to stay in the NBA at all.

Career years: 1980-1988

Career stats: 15.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Team(s): Philadelphia 76ers

Andrew Toney’s career began with great promise, as the shooting guard averaged 17.5 points in almost 29 minutes per game with the Sixers over his first five years in the league. He quickly developed into an All-Star, making the team in 1983 and 1984 and playing a huge role in Philadelphia’s run to the NBA title in 1983. He integrated seamlessly with legends Julius Erving and Moses Malone, and it looked like a dynasty was born. However, that promising start was brought to an abrupt halt in 1985 as Toney began to develop stress fractures in both feet, but the team doctors could not detect them. This led to a behind-the-scenes battle between Toney and management, and after three injury-riddled seasons, he retired and vowed never to return to the Sixers until a new owner was in place.

Career years: 2002-2006

Career stats: 9.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Team(s): Chicago Bulls

Many forget just how highly touted and supremely talented Jay Williams was before his career-altering motorcycle accident in 2003. He won the Naismith award in 2002 after an NCAA title run in 2001, leaving Duke with an average of 19.3 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 3.7 RPG from the point guard spot. He was good enough that the Bulls drafted him No. 2 overall in 2002 behind Yao Ming, and during his rookie season showed flashes of potential greatness for a team that went 30-52 and was led in scoring by Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall. Despite several attempts to make it back after his accident that summer, Williams never played another NBA game.

Career years: 2001-2012

Career stats: 20.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Team(s): Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies

Gilbert Arenas is about as easy a target as there is, but it’s not debatable that he was an offensive powerhouse when he was healthy (and not bringing guns to practice). After showing flashes of his talent with Golden State, Arenas signed with the Wizards and turned himself into an All-Star, averaging 23.4 points and 5.0 assists per game and pushing Washington into the playoffs. At the tail end of the 2007 season, however, he tore his MCL, and never played a full season again. Had he never gotten injured, the Wizards may have had a shot at being a serious title contender and Arenas may have been looked at now as one of the best scoring point guards of his era.

Career years: 1991-2001

Career stats: 16.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Team(s): Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks

Larry Johnson may have thought “Grandmama” was just a nickname, but might as well have described the condition of his back too. After two All-Star nods in five years and 19.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 4.1 APG average with the Charlotte Hornets, Johnson was shipped off to the Knicks thanks to his beef with Alonzo Mourning. Johnson was forced to reinvent himself in New York, becoming more of a perimeter player and seeing his numbers fall. Over the final three years of his career, Johnson’s back became an increasingly seriously problem and his production began to suffer. He was forced to retire at age 31, turning a potential Hall of Fame career into merely a decent one.

Career years: 1992-2008

Career stats: 17.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 2.8 BPG

Team(s): Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets

It would not be proper to say Alonzo Mourning’s career was completely ruined by his kidney disorder, but it took what could have been a top 20 all-time player and made him into “merely” a Hall of Famer. Mourning exploded onto the scene with the Hornets out of Georgetown, becoming one of only three rookies in NBA history to average at least 21 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks per game over his first three seasons in the league. He continued his remarkable run of consistency after that, too, and is one of just four players in NBA history to average 20-9-3 in the same categories over his first decade. However, his kidney disease became too much to handle, and Mourning had to sit out what would have been his 11th season in the league. While he was somewhat effective when he returned, he was nowhere near the same player. Over his final five seasons, he averaged just 7.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game.

Career years: 1993-2005

Career stats: 17.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Team(s): Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks

The Detroit Pistons likely lament letting Allan Houston go, as the guard enjoyed some tremendous years for the Knicks as one of the great knockdown shooters in the league. He had his fair share of memorable moments in New York, most notably during the 1999 run to the NBA Finals where he made “The Runner” to push the No. 8-seeded Knicks past arch nemesis and top-seeded Miami. After signing a max contract in 2001, Houston enjoyed a couple good seasons before a serious knee injury limited him to just 70 games over the next two years and he was forced to retire. There’s clearly no hard feelings, though, since he’s now an assistant GM for the team.

Career years: 1996-Present

Career stats: 13.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.8 BPG

Team(s): Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors

Jermaine O’Neal came into the NBA as part of a loaded draft class, and after failing to get any run in Portland in his four years as a Trail Blazer he departed for Indiana and almost immediately turned himself into an All-Star. Given time to shine and an opportunity for a lot of touches, O’Neal showed opponents he could dunk on them, step outside and hit a 15 footer, and get at them on the defensive end. However, his final years in Indiana were marred by a slew of injuries to his shoulders, knees, and ankles, limiting the big man’s athleticism and severely impairing his game. He’s enjoyed a nice renaissance with the Warriors, and can provide energy off the bench in limited doses.

Career years: 1980-1993

Career stats: 17.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.7 BPG

Team(s): Boston Celtics

From his rookie season in 1980-81 through the end of the 1987 season, Kevin McHale averaged 79 games played per season and 31 minutes per night. The Celtics won three championships, and it looked like they were ready to set off on another five-plus year run of dominance and win a couple more titles. However, in March of 1987, McHale broke the navicular bone in his right foot (the same injury as Joel Embiid), and despite doctor’s orders not to continued playing on the injured foot. While he held on for a couple more high level seasons after 1987, McHale almost retired before 1990-91 and finished with the two worst seasons of his career before calling it quits at age 35.

Career years: 1984-1995

Career stats: 10.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.8 BPG

Team(s): Portland Trail Blazers, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers

Whenever anyone mentions Sam Bowie, the first, second, and third reaction has to do with Michael Jordan (and even Hakeem Olajuwon). But there’s a reason that Bowie was taken over MJ; despite missing more than a full college season due to injuries, he was an SI cover boy during his senior year and got his team to the Final Four. In the NBA, he was a good player…when he was healthy. Which wasn’t often. Bowie averaged playing 51 games per season, playing over 70 games just three times in 10 years. He did enjoy a couple productive years with the Nets (a 68 G, 14.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG season in 1989-90 was easily his best effort), but those flashes tended to serve only as tantalizing reminders of what could have been.

Career years: 1993-2004

Career stats: 19.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Team(s): Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets

Jamal Mashburn may own car dealerships, Papa Johns, and Outback Steakhouses today, but in the prime of his NBA career he got busy for the Mavericks, Heat, and Hornets. A prolific scorer coming out of Kentucky, Mashburn averaged 21.8 points per game over his first three seasons in the league before going down with the first of many injuries just 18 games into his third season. Injuries would become a recurring theme for Mashburn’s career, leading to a lot of unfulfilled promise as both a third of the “Three Js”in Dallas (Jim Jackson and Jason Kidd) as well as a member of a Miami Heat team that featured Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, and Pat Riley.

Career years: 2004-Present

Career stats: 7.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Team(s): Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors

If you aren’t happy for Shaun Livingston and the three-year, $16 million deal he just landed from the Golden State Warriors, then you have no soul. After easing his way in with the Clippers in his first two seasons in the league, Livingston had begun to break out during the 2006-07 season until suffering a gruesome knee injury during a February game against the Bobcats. It took months before he could even walk again, and he finally returned to the court in October of 2008, 20 months after the initial injury. It has not been easy since then, however; Livingston has bounced around all over the league before finding a role as valuable part of the Nets’ rotation last season. He’ll be the first guard off the bench for the Warriors this year, having reinvented his game at age 28 and becoming a valuable combo guard.

Career years: 1992-2003

Career stats: 11.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG

Team(s): Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat

LaPhonso Ellis may not be the best-known guy on this list, but his game and potential may rival some of the most famous players in the league. He was drafted No. 5 overall out of Notre Dame by the Nuggets, and began his career with back-to-back seasons in which he averaged 15.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. It looked like he was on the cusp of becoming a star, until a stress fracture in his right knee kept Ellis off the court for nearly his entire third season. That injury, along with damage to his other knee and a chronic sports hernia issue plagued Ellis for the rest of his career, never fully allowing him to live up to the hype.

Career years: 2007-Present

Career stats: 8.0 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.2 BPG

Team(s): Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat

There aren’t many people out there who don’t feel badly for Greg Oden. He received a ton of hype coming into the draft, and everyone seemed to put their blinders on when it came to his troubling injury history that dated back to his high school days. The Trail Blazers took him at No. 1 ahead of Kevin Durant, and over his first two seasons in the league Oden played in a combined 82 games at just 22.1 minutes per contest. He’s had three microfracture surgeries and a host of other operations along the way, and after appearing in just 23 games for the Heat last year may be nearing the end of the line for his professional basketball career.

Career years: 1982-1994

Career stats: 13.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.2 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Team(s): Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks

Lafayette “Fat” Lever has one of the most awesome names in all of sports, and also is one of the most underrated rebounding point guards the league has ever seen. Between 1986 and 1990, he enjoyed a stretch of fantastic play with the Denver Nuggets that saw him average 18.9 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 7.5 APG, teaming up with Alex English leading the Nuggets to the playoffs every year. In 1990, however, Lever suffered a severe knee injury that held him out for most of the next two seasons and the entire 1992-93 season as well, and when he did return he lasted just one season before retiring.