The NBA is built on speed, power, and impossible skill, but it’s also unforgiving. But in a league where the slightest misstep can change everything, some careers unraveled far too soon. Some of its most electrifying stars have seen everything shift in a single snap or stumble. These are the players who had it all—until injuries rewrote the script.
Derrick Rose
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Taken first overall by the Bulls in 2008, Derrick Rose wasted no time making an impact—he took home top rookie honors and became the youngest MVP ever by 2011. His speed and fearlessness made him a nightmare for defenders. But in the 2012 playoffs, a torn ACL changed everything. More injuries followed, yet Rose kept fighting.
Grant Hill
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Grant Hill came into the NBA scoring, passing, rebounding, and defending. He played with effortless fluidity, and Detroit had its new face of the franchise. But just as his prime years hit full speed, a nasty ankle injury in 2000 sent his career sideways. Surgeries piled up, and a severe infection nearly cost him more than basketball.
Tracy McGrady
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Tracy McGrady racked up points with smooth precision. From 2000 to 2005, only Allen Iverson had more points, and McGrady did it with control and efficiency. His back problems began in the mid-2000s, followed by knee surgery in 2008. He played for several teams after that, but the explosiveness faded.
Penny Hardaway
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Coming into the league, Penny Hardaway was a matchup nightmare—quick enough to run point, big enough to score over anyone. But his run was disrupted by a knee injury in 1996. Microfracture surgery followed, and though he battled through with new teams, he found coaching much better, now shaping futures at the University of Memphis.
Brandon Roy
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After being drafted in 2006 and traded to Portland, Brandon Roy was named the league’s best freshman in 2007. He earned All-Star status, dropped 52 in a single game, and had the Blazers believing again. Then came the knee issues, relentless and cut his NBA journey heartbreakingly short. He retired at 27 and shifted to coaching.
Yao Ming
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Yao Ming entered the NBA in 2002 as a 7-foot-6 force with soft hands, sharp skills, and a global spotlight. Early on, he was reliable and dominant, averaging over 22 points and 10 rebounds by his fourth season. But a string of foot and leg injuries, starting in 2005, chipped away at his time on the court.
Greg Oden
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Picked first in the 2007 NBA Draft, Greg Oden was supposed to be Portland’s long-term answer. He stood 7 feet tall with a dominant college resume. But before his rookie year even began, knee surgery put him on the sidelines. Over seven seasons, he played just 105 games, with repeated injuries preventing him from building the career Portland envisioned.
Andrew Bynum
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Drafted at just 17 years old, Andrew Bynum became the youngest player in NBA history. By 2012, he was an All-Star and central to the Lakers’ championship push. Knee injuries, however, became a constant hurdle. Trades followed, but his knees never fully cooperated, and by 26, his playing days were behind him.
Isaiah Thomas
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Isaiah Thomas proved height doesn’t define heart. At 5’9″, he lit up the league, earning two All-Star nods and finishing fifth in MVP voting during a standout 2016–17 season with Boston. That year, he averaged 28.9 points and dropped 53 in a playoff game while playing through a serious hip injury. The damage eventually sidelined him, triggering a rocky trade and surgery stretch.
Jabari Parker
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Drafted second overall in 2014, Jabari Parker entered the league with big expectations. He averaged 12.3 points as a rookie before a torn ACL cut his first season short. After a strong comeback, including a 20-point average in 2016–17, the same knee gave out again—another ACL tear that derailed his ascent all over again.
Chris Webber
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Chris Webber entered the league as the top pick in 1993, and he claimed the league’s top newcomer award with Golden State. With the Kings, he led one of the NBA’s most exciting teams in the early 2000s, but a 2003 knee injury changed his trajectory. Even after reduced roles in later seasons, his Hall of Fame induction in 2021 sealed a lasting legacy.
Maurice Stokes
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In the late 1950s, Maurice Stokes, the 6’7″ forward-center, was doing things most modern playmakers would admire, averaging 16.3 rebounds with over 1,000 assists in just three seasons. Tragically, in the final game of the 1957–58 regular season, Stokes suffered a head injury. Teammate Jack Twyman stepped in as guardian as a post-traumatic encephalopathy diagnosis left him paralyzed.
Pete Maravich
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Drafted third overall in 1970, Pete Maravich brought flash to fundamentals, averaging 23.2 points right out of the gate for Atlanta. His peak came with the New Orleans Jazz, where he led the league in scoring in 1976–77. Knee injuries shortened his prime, but “Pistol Pete” still left a legacy.
Larry Johnson
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Before the league got used to big men stepping out for threes, Larry Johnson was already rewriting his game. In his early days, he dominated the paint with over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Despite chronic back issues leading to his retirement in 2001, Johnson’s ability to evolve his game left a lasting impact.
