|
Looking Back At Injuries Which Have Ruined Careers
Many times over the history of the NBA have seen careers of players with huge potential getting ruined from injuries. Although injuries are part of the game, when severe ones occur, it’s always sad to see rising or already risen stars go down and stay out of action for an extended time, even forever. The 2013-2014 season up to now includes lots of injuries from star players so it might be just time to remember some injuries that ruined the careers of very good players in the NBA.
Brandon Roy
How can a player go from a superstar level to retirement? Just see Brandon Roy’s case. At the age of 27, Roy, who was one of the most explosive and productive guards in the league was forced to announce his retirement. The cause of his retirement was his knees, which had degenerated and didn’t leave him with any other choice but to hang his shoes.
Anfernee Hardaway
The 1997-1998 season was a fateful one for Penny Hardaway. That’s when he suffered a season-ending knee injury. He would never get back to his normal. Hardaway went on and continued playing after his injury. However, he wasn’t the player he used to be during his first five seasons in the NBA.
Yao Ming
Yao was one of the tallest players to ever play in the NBA. He was also the best Chinese player to appear in the league. During his eight seasons in the league he was considered one of the top centers in the NBA, arguably the best together with Shaquille O’Neal. However, a series of injuries in his legs forced him to call it a career after eight seasons.
Alan Houston
Houston was one of the best three-point shooters to ever play in the NBA. After signing a maximum contract with the New York Knicks that gave him an annual salary of over $20 million in 2001, Houston started experiencing severe knee issues. He was eventually forced to announce his retirement in 2005.
Bill Walton
Bill Walton, father of Luke Walton, played for 10 seasons in the league. The Hall-of-Famer, though could have played even more if he didn’t experience a bunch of injuries in different parts of his body. He missed lots of games due to those injuries and finally was forced to retire. Nonetheless, it’s really sad the NBA world didn’t have a chance to enjoy him playing more.
Maurice Stokes
Stokes’ injury takes us lots of years back in history. During the 1957-1958 season and during the last game he appeared in the NBA, he fell to the floor unconscious. Later on he was diagnosed with an encephalopathy. The NBA has honored him as of recently, introducing the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award, as Twyman, who then was his teammate stood by him side for the continuation of his life. Stokes averaged 16.4 points and 17.3 rebounds per game for his career.
Gheorghe Muresan
Muresan is probably remembered as the tallest player to ever appear in the NBA. Nonetheless, his career was accompanied by a series of injuries, mostly on his ankle and nerves, which eventually forced him to retire.
About The Author:
Ron Leyba is a fantasy basketball fan and blogger. For more of his write-ups and fantasy basketball updates, follow @NBAFantasyInfo on Twitter or like his blog on Facebook.
|