There's nothing worse than seeing a player with so much talent & potential have it taken away because they got hurt. Joel Embiid missed two years of his career after breaking the navicular bone in his right foot while we have yet to see if Ben Simmons' can succeed now that the foot injury that cost him his rookie season has healed. Some players like Paul George are able to recover from bad injuries and resume their careers as normal. However, some players end up being hounded by injuries for the rest of their careers, stopping them from reaching their potential and continuing to play at high levels consistently. Here are 6 NBA players who had their careers ruined by injuries.
Derrick Rose
Let's start off this list with what has to be the most infamous example among active players. In 2008, Derrick Rose was coming off a single year at the University of Memphis where he led the Tigers to a record of 38-2 (or if you ask the NCAA, 0-1) and took them to the NCAA Tournament Championship game, only to lose the Kansas Jayhawks. Rose ended up getting selected with the #1 pick by the Chicago Bulls and quickly took the league by storm. Rose won the Rookie of the Year award and by his second season, he had been selected to be an All-Star reserve. By his third year in the NBA, Rose solidified himself as one of the best in the league, averaging 25 points and 7.7 assists per game on his way to becoming the youngest ever MVP at only 22 years old while leading the Bulls to the best record in the Eastern Conference. In his first three years, Derrick Rose had already started his bid to be a Hall of Famer one day. However, his body had different ideas.
Rose had dealt with minor injuries throughout his pro career, but they were nothing too serious. That was until the 2011-12 season, which saw Rose only play in 39 after getting injured, and I'm not kidding, SIX TIMES in only FOUR MONTHS. I'm not even kidding. Between January 11th and April 19th of 2012, Derrick Rose:
With only 1:22 left in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs with the Bulls up by 12 against the Philidelphia 76ers, Rose drove to the basket and ended up tearing his ACL. That injury would keep Rose out of the rest of the playoffs and cost him the entire 2012-13 season as the Bulls went onto to lose the series 4-1 against the Sixers. Rose returned for the 2013-14 season, but that season ended quickly as Rose suffered a torn right knee meniscus 10 games into the season against the Portland Trail Blazers and was out for the remaining 72 games and the playoffs. The next season, Rose continued to suffer minor injuries before missing 20 games after tearing his meniscus again in 2015. Rose could still put up solid numbers, averaging 17 points per game in his last two seasons in Chicago, but the constant injuries (both minor & major) constantly halted his momentum and caused him to miss the majority of his games. In his eight years in Chicago, Rose missed a total of 257 games due to injuries, with 244 of those coming in his last five years. Also, Rose only played in 166 games in those five seasons, less than half of the total games possible.
Rose would get traded before the 2016-17 season to the New York Knicks and averaged 18 points a game for the year, but had his season cut short yet again after tearing his left meniscus. Rose has shown that, while he's not a MVP-caliber player anymore, he can still be a valuable asset to a team looking for someone to put up 17-18 points game, but the constant injuries have certainly hurt his standing in the league. Hopefully, he stays healthy this season in Cleveland and reminds everyone how good he can really be.
- Sprained his left big toe, sat out for one game
- Reinjured that same toe two games later, sat out for four more games
- Missed five more games in February with lower-back issues
- Injures his groin in March, missed 12 games
- Missed another game after spraining his ankle
- And finally, injured his right foot and missed three more games
With only 1:22 left in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs with the Bulls up by 12 against the Philidelphia 76ers, Rose drove to the basket and ended up tearing his ACL. That injury would keep Rose out of the rest of the playoffs and cost him the entire 2012-13 season as the Bulls went onto to lose the series 4-1 against the Sixers. Rose returned for the 2013-14 season, but that season ended quickly as Rose suffered a torn right knee meniscus 10 games into the season against the Portland Trail Blazers and was out for the remaining 72 games and the playoffs. The next season, Rose continued to suffer minor injuries before missing 20 games after tearing his meniscus again in 2015. Rose could still put up solid numbers, averaging 17 points per game in his last two seasons in Chicago, but the constant injuries (both minor & major) constantly halted his momentum and caused him to miss the majority of his games. In his eight years in Chicago, Rose missed a total of 257 games due to injuries, with 244 of those coming in his last five years. Also, Rose only played in 166 games in those five seasons, less than half of the total games possible.
Rose would get traded before the 2016-17 season to the New York Knicks and averaged 18 points a game for the year, but had his season cut short yet again after tearing his left meniscus. Rose has shown that, while he's not a MVP-caliber player anymore, he can still be a valuable asset to a team looking for someone to put up 17-18 points game, but the constant injuries have certainly hurt his standing in the league. Hopefully, he stays healthy this season in Cleveland and reminds everyone how good he can really be.
Greg Oden
Going from someone's career who got derailed by injuries to someone who's career never really got started because of injuries, Greg Oden came into the NBA after putting up 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game while also shooting 62% from the field. That same year, he led the Ohio State Buckeyes to the National Championship game, but they fell to the Florida Gators. Oden entered the 2007 NBA Draft and ended up going #1 to the Portland Trail Blazers over Kevin Durant & Al Horford. That was pretty much the highlight of Oden's NBA career.
Oden's NBA career was put on hold for a whole year after having microfracture surgery on his right knee. One year later, Oden finally suited up for his first NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers...and left with a foot injury after 13 minutes of playing time. Two weeks later, Oden returned to action and scored the first points of his NBA career, 504 days after he was drafted. Oden managed to stay healthy for several months until he & Corey Maggette smacked knees and caused Oden to chip his knee cap, putting him on the DL for three more weeks.
Oden's NBA career was put on hold for a whole year after having microfracture surgery on his right knee. One year later, Oden finally suited up for his first NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers...and left with a foot injury after 13 minutes of playing time. Two weeks later, Oden returned to action and scored the first points of his NBA career, 504 days after he was drafted. Oden managed to stay healthy for several months until he & Corey Maggette smacked knees and caused Oden to chip his knee cap, putting him on the DL for three more weeks.
The next year, Oden had a solid start to his season, averaging 11.1 points & 8.5 rebounds per game before his knees gave out on him again. Oden fractured his left patella against the Houston Rockets in the first quarter of a game and had season ending surgery. That would end up being Oden's last NBA game for over four years. After losing another whole season after having microfracture surgery on his left knee, Oden ended up having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee over a year later...and then another micro-fracture surgery on his left knee. After 5 years of surgery & disappointment, the Trail Blazers waived Oden. Oden played a total of 82 games in those five years, a full seasons worth of games.
After sitting out the entire 2012-13 season to rehab his injuries, Oden signed a one-year deal with the Miami Heat. Despite playing in a preseason game, he didn't play in the regular season until January and played in only 23 games, along with three playoff games. Oden then went onto to play a season Jiangsu Dragons in China while saying that he wanted to make a comeback for the 2016-17 NBA season. However, Oden said that in 2016 that his basketball career was over and that he is now the student manager for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
After sitting out the entire 2012-13 season to rehab his injuries, Oden signed a one-year deal with the Miami Heat. Despite playing in a preseason game, he didn't play in the regular season until January and played in only 23 games, along with three playoff games. Oden then went onto to play a season Jiangsu Dragons in China while saying that he wanted to make a comeback for the 2016-17 NBA season. However, Oden said that in 2016 that his basketball career was over and that he is now the student manager for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Shaun Livingston
There were a lot of high hopes for Shaun Livingston when he came into the NBA. A five-star recruit, Livingston was considered the second best high school player and the best point guard in high school in 2004 after leading Peoria Central High School to two straight Class AA state titles. He was selected with the #4 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, where he played three injury-plagued seasons sharing the starting point guard spot with Sam Cassell. Livingston only played 30 games in his rookie season, missing 39 games after dislocating his knee and 12 more after tearing cartilage in his right shoulder, and missed the first 21 games of his second season due to a stress reaction in his lower back. And this was all before Livingston suffered one of the most gruesome injuries in NBA history.
During a game against the Charlotte Bobcats, Livingston went up for a layup and landed badly on his left leg. So bad in fact that Livingston essentially snapped his leg completely in half. Livingston dislocated his kneecap on the landing, causing his leg to snap laterally and destroy his entire knee. Livingston ended up with a torn ACL, PCL, and lateral meniscus, a badly sprained MCL and a dislocated patella in his tibio-fibular joint. Clippers physician Tony Daly called it "probably the most serious injury you can have to the knee" and was so bad that Livingston was told by doctors that he might have needed to have his leg amputated. And worst of all...he missed the layup.
Considering how he had one working leg, Livingston missed the remainder of the 2006-07 season and the entire 2007-08 season. He wasn't resigned by the Clippers and instead got picked up by the Miami Heat on a two-year deal. He would only end up playing four games for the Heat in the span of about a month before being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder...where he only played eight games for the rest of the year. This season began an eight-year stint where Livingston played for eight different teams. However, Livingston has finally found his footing in the NBA, as he signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2014 and became a solid role player on two championship teams. Still, one can only wonder how differently Livingston's career would have been had it not started off with so many injuries.
Brandon Roy
Oh look, another Portland Trail Blazer, god this team is depressing. Brandon Roy came into the NBA after a successful four-year stint at the University of Washington. He was drafted with the #6 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who then traded him to the Trail Blazers for the #7 pick Randy Foye. Roy quickly adapted to the NBA, scoring 16.8 points per game while also averaging 4.4 rebounds and 4 assists per game on his way to winning the Rookie of the Year Award almost unanimously. His second year was even better. Roy became the top player in Portland after Zach Randolph was traded, averaging 19.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on his way to his first All-Star selection. Roy continued to play at an All-Star level, averaging over 20 points per game in his next two seasons. However, all good things have to come to an end, and Roy's good things ended quickly.
Roy, who had dealt with knee problems since college, suffered a right knee bone contusion and a slight meniscus tear, keeping him out of the first three games of the first round of the playoffs. The next season, Roy's numbers dropped to 12.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game before he had arthroscopic surgery on both knees, taking him out of action for a month. Before the 2011-12 season, Roy announced his retirement, has his knees had degenerated so much that he had to retire.
Roy attempted to make a comeback with the Minnesota Timberwolves after undergoing a platelet-rich plasma procedure that Kobe Bryant had undergone, but after only five games he had season-ending surgery on his right knee. He was waived by the Timberwolves and his career was over. Since then, he's gone on to become the top high school basketball coach in the nation, leading Nathan Hale High School to a perfect 29-0. Brandon Roy had all the talent in the world. Kobe Bryant even said that he had no weakness in his game. Unfortunately, he did have one weakness...his knees.
Jay Williams
Jay Williams career in the NBA came & went quickly...very quickly. Williams was a standout at Duke University, leading the Blue Devils to a National Championship victory in his sophomore year and winning the Naismith College Player of the Year Award as a junior, all while 21.4 points, 5.7 assists, and 2.1 steals in those two years. Williams entered the 2002 NBA Draft and was selected #2 by the Chicago Bulls. Like Greg Oden, getting drafted would be the highlight of Jay Williams' career in the NBA. Williams first season was decent, averaging 9.5 points and 4.7 assists per game. but suffered from inconsistency. However, inconsistency was the least of Williams' worries.
During the 2003 offseason, Williams got into an accident on his motorcycle, which he didn't have a license for in Illinois and wasn't wearing a helmet. Williams ended up severing a main nerve in his leg, a fractured pelvis, and three dislocated ligaments in his left knee including the ACL. The Bulls ended up waiving Williams in 2004 without having to pay the rest of his salary, as Williams violated his contract by riding a motorcycle. Williams made several attempts at a comeback, but they never amounted to anything. Needless to say, his NBA career was completely ruined by his injuries he sustained in the motorcycle crash.
Yao Ming
Rounding out this list is a Hall of Fame career that ended too soon. Yao Ming was a superstar in the Chinese Basketball Association, winning the CBA MVP award in 2001 along with leading the league in rebounds & blocks for three straight seasons. In his final season, Yao averaged an incredible 32.4 points & 19 rebounds per game while leading the Shanghai Sharks to a CBA Championship victory. With stats like that, it's no surprise that the 7'6 Yao was highly sought after by teams overseas in the United States.
Yao entered the 2002 NBA Draft and was selected #1 overall by the Houston Rockets. Yao had a successful rookie season, averaging 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while also getting voted to start the All-Star game, making him the first rookie to start the All-Star game since Grant Hill did it in 1995. Yao continued to succeed in the NBA, averaging 17.9 points and 8.7 rebounds over his next two seasons, earning an All-Star selection each year while making the All-NBA Third Team in his second year. However, after staying healthy for the first three years of his career, the rest of it would be plagued with injuries.
Yao's 2005-06 season saw him develop osteomyelitis in his left big toe, putting him on the inactive list for 21 games. Before the season was over, Yao ended up breaking a bone in his foot, ending the season early. During the next season, at a time where he put up 26.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks while being considered an MVP candidate, Yao broke his knee, missing 32 games and what would've been his fifth All-Star game. Yao then had his next season cut short after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot, leading him to undergo surgery and have screws placed in his foot to strengthen it.
Yao was able to avoid injury and played 77 games, averaging 19.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game on his way to his seventh All-Star selection. Yao was able to lead the Rockets to the second round of the playoffs, where his good luck ran out when he suffered a sprained ankle and a hairline fracture in his left foot. However, the injury ended up being worse than originally thought, and Yao would miss the entire 2009-10 season after having surgery on his left foot.
The Rockets attempted to keep Yao healthy for the 2010-11 season, limiting his minutes to 24 a game and not playing him on back-to-back nights. However, only ended up playing five games before he suffered a season ending stress fracture in his left ankle related to an older injury. Yao would become a free agent after what ended up being his last season. Yao announced his retirement, citing the frequent injuries to his foot & ankle. Yao was honored by the NBA and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. Yao Ming had a Hall of Fame career, but if his foot hadn't given out on him so many times in his career, he might've been able to have an even better career.
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Yao entered the 2002 NBA Draft and was selected #1 overall by the Houston Rockets. Yao had a successful rookie season, averaging 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while also getting voted to start the All-Star game, making him the first rookie to start the All-Star game since Grant Hill did it in 1995. Yao continued to succeed in the NBA, averaging 17.9 points and 8.7 rebounds over his next two seasons, earning an All-Star selection each year while making the All-NBA Third Team in his second year. However, after staying healthy for the first three years of his career, the rest of it would be plagued with injuries.
Yao's 2005-06 season saw him develop osteomyelitis in his left big toe, putting him on the inactive list for 21 games. Before the season was over, Yao ended up breaking a bone in his foot, ending the season early. During the next season, at a time where he put up 26.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks while being considered an MVP candidate, Yao broke his knee, missing 32 games and what would've been his fifth All-Star game. Yao then had his next season cut short after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot, leading him to undergo surgery and have screws placed in his foot to strengthen it.
Yao was able to avoid injury and played 77 games, averaging 19.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game on his way to his seventh All-Star selection. Yao was able to lead the Rockets to the second round of the playoffs, where his good luck ran out when he suffered a sprained ankle and a hairline fracture in his left foot. However, the injury ended up being worse than originally thought, and Yao would miss the entire 2009-10 season after having surgery on his left foot.
The Rockets attempted to keep Yao healthy for the 2010-11 season, limiting his minutes to 24 a game and not playing him on back-to-back nights. However, only ended up playing five games before he suffered a season ending stress fracture in his left ankle related to an older injury. Yao would become a free agent after what ended up being his last season. Yao announced his retirement, citing the frequent injuries to his foot & ankle. Yao was honored by the NBA and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. Yao Ming had a Hall of Fame career, but if his foot hadn't given out on him so many times in his career, he might've been able to have an even better career.
Thanks for reading
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