The 30 Best NBA Careers Ruined by Injury

[Jeffx]

Thought you cats might be interested in checking this out. IMO, Bill Walton should be at #1.

http://dimemag.com/2013/08/the-30-best- ... by-injury/

[Andrew]

Solid list. I too would be more inclined to put Bill Walton at #1. Chris Webber may be ranked a little too high though, as despite a few injury plagued seasons he still had an All-Star career. Penny Hardaway, ranked one spot lower than C-Webb, was definitely a Bigger What-If and should be up there with Grant Hill in the top five.

[NovU]

Bobby Hurley was one player I was really hoping to see a successful comeback from. Darn, didn't happen.

Also missing is a Big Country Bryant Reeves. He could have been easily a top 5 center of all time if he could have kept body fat down and stay healthy. The man was a monster with overgrown 9 year old chubby body.

[Mandich]

Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kareem, Hakeem, Shaq

He would be better than Someone from this list?

Please.

[NovU]

Certainly great names to be in discussion with.

Mission Accomplished

[Mandich]

Joking your way out...you know that was an overstatement.

[Sauru]

wtf bryant reeves top 5? easily? what the fuck are you on man.


bill walton should have been 1

why not count heart conditions? i demand reggie lewis and len bias make the list.

[NovU]

I am not on anything and it wasn't no overstatement. It's called an opinion. Imagine Big Country with 3% body fat.

[Sauru]

I am not on anything and it wasn't no overstatement. It's called an opinion. Imagine Big Country with 3% body fat.

i am not saying he would not have had a good or even great career if 100% healthy but top 5? thats a hard nut to crack, there have been some amazing centers in this game.

[Kenny]

Pretty decent list, but I think Big Z is a little out of place in it. Particularly this quote:

To the surprise of many, he actually saw an increase in production as his career went on, but it was noted that he struggled with movement around the court for the duration of his career. For someone who had their fair share of impairments, Ilgauskas made the best of his situation.

I don't think it's really a case of his career being "ruined" by injury.

[NovU]

I don't know how many of you lived to witness Big Country sufficiently to evaluate his game. But I did.

Imagine, what if he didn't have a body of 9 year old(ie. skinny leg, fat upper body) but more basketball body with less limitation? Now, don't underestimate his game. He had a solid shooting touch with range, post up moves, power to back down defender, used both hands, solid free throw game, willingness to pass, could dribble, awareness on both ends. Only thing that limited his game was his physical.

[Moz]

Sabonis case I reckon is excused since he got to the NBA on his 30's... Vince Carter should've been in the list and if they can put Webber,Stoudemire, and Allan Houston in there perhaps Patrick Ewing and/or Alonzo Mourning should be in it also... can't blame them though those DIME people are Stephen A. Smith clones...

[Andrew]

I don't know, like Webber I think Carter more or less became the player he was capable of being, with any shortcomings being more the result of his skillset and competitive drive. Aside from one or two seasons there, Carter hasn't really been that injury plagued through his career. I wouldn't put Ewing there either.

[Mandich]

Imagine, what if he didn't have a body of 9 year old(ie. skinny leg, fat upper body).

Imagine Isiah Thomas was 6'6

[NovU]

Tell me one star player you think that had a worse basketball body than Big Country.

[Andrew]

Oliver Miller, perhaps.

[Mandich]

Mugsy

[Andrew]

Muggsy Bogues had a distinct height disadvantage - obviously - but he was still in shape and a good athlete. Reeves and Miller, not so much.

[NovU]

Miller probably had the most unlikely body type for the NBA. The guy though was exceptional at using his weight which ultimately worked to his advantage as power and space-creator. I think he was an athlete inside despite the weight issues. But I'm not so sure if he had skillsets to match Bryant Reeves's greatness. Also to note, stars get paid and Reeves got paid handsomely.

[Sauru]

manute bol? yao ming? when playing the what if game you cant change who a person is though. cant just go imagine if spud web was 6'5" or barkley 6'10". by that logic imagine if every center ever had the body of shaq and all point guards were 6'9"

[NovU]

Spud Webb had an amazing basketball body for a 5'5" person. Yao had a pretty good body and skillset for a 7'5" person(Manute didn't). But Bryant Reeves's body left a lot to be desired. His skill level for a 7 footer however was pure joy to watch.

[Andrew]

Also to note, stars get paid and Reeves got paid handsomely.

Jim McIlvaine.

[Bruce]

I think Drazen Petrovic, Pervis Ellison, McDyess, Michael Dickerson, Christian Laetnner and maybe Len Bias are better inclusions than laphonso, livingston and bender.

[Sauru]

Also to note, stars get paid and Reeves got paid handsomely.

Jim McIlvaine.

jon contract

[Andrew]

Ah yes, another fine example.

I think Drazen Petrovic, Pervis Ellison, McDyess, Michael Dickerson, Christian Laetnner and maybe Len Bias are better inclusions than laphonso, livingston and bender.

I think you have to put Petrovic, Bias and Reggie Lewis in another category altogether. Having a career cut short or derailed by injury is one thing, dying so young is a whole other ball game.

McDyess I'd agree with, though he still managed to have a solid, reasonably long career with a few very good seasons and did play in over 90% of his games in his last seven seasons or so. I'm not sure that Laettner didn't more or less reach the level he was capable of achieving, plus he was in the league for over a decade. Ellison and Dickerson I do agree with as well.