10 Great NBA Players Who Had Their Careers Shortened by Injury, Ranked

One of the most dreaded outcomes for a professional athlete is injury. When players with elite talent and promise are injured, it is a massive blow to everyone. Furthermore, when the dust settles, we are left with one burning question: What if? What if the player never got hurt? What would they have become?

Unfortunately, athletes from all sports have had their careers cut short due to injury. Some players get hurt before their prime while others get hurt during it, or after their peak. Regardless, injuries are heartbreaking and life-changing moments. They are a reality that many basketball stars had to struggle through and overcome. Today, scientific advancements and increased importance placed on health and recovery, are measures to mitigate lasting effects of an injury. More athletes are playing longer and rehabilitating injuries more effectively to get back on the court. Unfortunately, throughout NBA history, there are others who are just unlucky.

10 Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway

Penny entered the NBA as the 3rd overall pick in 1993 and joined forces with Shaquille O’Neal for the Orlando Magic. The 6’7” floor general made four All-Star teams in his first five seasons. In his 2nd season, he led his team to the NBA Finals along with O’Neal.

Early in the 1997-98 season, Hardaway suffered a devastating left knee injury that required surgery. He was held to 19 games that year. Although he had a stellar season in 1999-00 defeating the defending champs, he was never the same afterward.

9 Cuttino Mobley

The second round pick by the Houston Rockets really made a name for himself in the NBA. In his best scoring season, the 6’4” shooting guard averaged a terrific 21.7 PPG. In November 2008, a physical exam as part of his trade to the Knicks determined he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The career-ending condition had resulted in the deaths of two prominent basketball players, Reggie Lewis and Hank Gathers. Mobley was forced to retire at age 33. Over 11 seasons in the NBA he posted career averages of 16 PPG and 3.9 RPG.

8 Jamal Mashburn

Though the 6’8” small forward played 12 seasons in the NBA, he could have played longer and put up big numbers if it weren’t for knee problems. Jamal Mashburn averaged 19.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 3.4 APG in his rookie season. In his last season, he averaged 20.8 PPG and 6.2 RPG.

As Mashburn was starting to break out as a prolific scorer, injuries crept in. He was able to overcome his early injuries, making an All-Star appearance in the 2002-03 season where he played all 82 games. The next season, he was riddled with injuries resulting in microfracture surgery. He was forced to retire in March 2006 after 2 inactive seasons.

7 Jonathan Bender

Bender was lean and lanky with athleticism and skill that was unusual for someone standing seven feet tall. Many consider him to be the original Kevin Durant (from a physical standpoint), which is high praise for a player who played just 8 seasons.

Bender came into the league guns blazing, scoring in the double digits in his NBA debut. Unfortunately, persistent injuries to his right knee forced his exit. He retired with horrendous career averages of 5.5 PPG and 2.2 RPG and only showed spurts of his talent in a few playoff games.

6 Danny Granger

Granger was an All-Star in 2008-2009 and received the Most Improved Player Award. At the start of the 2012-13 season, he suffered from left knee tendinosis, limiting him to 5 games that year. A left calf strain forced him to miss the start of the 2013-14 season.

He made 29 appearances with the Pacers that season before being traded. He bounced around a few times but with persistent knee issues and was finally waived by the Pistons in October 2015 without playing a game for them, ending his NBA career.

5 Jay Williams

When Williams came into the league as the Chicago Bulls’ 2nd overall pick in the 2002 draft, he came with high expectations. He was an NCAA champion in 2001 with Duke and was named National College Player of the Year in ‘02.

In June 2003, Williams’ career ended prematurely in a serious motorcycle accident. He severed a main nerve in his leg, fractured his pelvis and severely injured his left knee. While currently an ESPN analyst, fans are left to wonder what he could have achieved if it weren’t for this horrible accident.

4 Greg Oden

The standout college player and first overall draft pick missed his entire rookie campaign after undergoing knee surgery in September 2007. He made his debut in the 2008-2009 season, injuring his foot in his first game and knee cap in the same season. He played 61 games that year.

The following season, injury struck again requiring microfracture surgeries on both knees. Oden would return with the Heat in the 2013-2014 season and appear in 23 games. He played 105 career games posting lackluster averages of 8 PPG and 6.2 RPG.

3 Yao Ming

The 7’6” first overall draft pick, was meant to be the next big thing. The eight-time all-star missed only two games in his first 3 seasons. In his 4th season, he started running into problems. First, osteomyelitis of his toe, then a fracture of his left foot four months later, and a right knee fracture in December 2006.

Ming retired after the 2011 season citing repetitive injuries to his foot and ankle after 8 full seasons in the league. Fans are left to wonder what the Rockets could have done had he and Tracy McGrady stayed healthy.

2 Andrew Bynum

Drafted straight from high school, Bynum became the youngest player in the NBA. The seven-footer helped the Lakers win two NBA Championships in 2009 and 2010. In January 2008, he partially dislocated his left kneecap, requiring arthroscopic knee surgery.

Further injuries would follow, marking 3 consecutive postseason runs affected by knee injuries. After being an All-Star in 2012, he was traded to the Sixers where he didn’t play a single game due to degeneration in both of his knees. His career was cut short after 8 seasons.

1 Brandon Roy

The 6’6” shooting guard entered the league with so much promise. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected him with the 6th overall pick in 2006 and immediately traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers. He was the Rookie of the Year and made it to three All-Star teams in his short six-year career.

He was forced to retire from basketball during the 2011-2012 season at age 27 due to degenerative knee condition in both of his knees. He currently coaches boys high school basketball and earned the Naismith National High School Coach of the Year award in 2017.

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