Who are the best NBA players who got injured? A lot of things need to go in a player’s favor in order to make it among the best players in the world and to have a chance to find his spot in the NBA. Of course, that road has many obstacles, the players’ will and determination are tested on daily basis and the best and the strongest among them find their way to the basketball glory. But if there is one thing that none of them can go against, that is the injuries. Definitely, there is no basketball player that hasn’t suffered one, but still, there are players who could never reach their full potential because of injuries or even worse, their careers were cut short because of them.

Following is the list of the top 8 players in recent history that will have the “what if” added to their name forever.

1. Grant Hill

Grant Hill spent 19 seasons in the NBA, made 7 All-Star appearances, was named 4 times in the All-NBA second team, and scored more than 17.000 points which sounds like an impressive career. Still, the first thing that comes to the mind of any 1990s NBA fan when Grant Hill’s name is mentioned is injuries. Hill came into the league as an excellent all-around player winning two NCAA championships with Duke and was drafted third overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. Hill should have taken over the league when Michael Jordan retired but that never happened just because of the injuries. Hill became an All-Star in his rookie season and showed a tremendous level of maturity from day 1. But soon after reaching superstar status, the injuries took over. The Pistons traded Hill to the Orlando Magic after six seasons in Motor City. But then things went even worse for Hill as he missed 281 of 328 games in his first 4 seasons with the Magic with a foot injury. The injury was so difficult that his career was in jeopardy and many already counted him out. Somehow, Hill recovered and became a reliable role player with the Phoenix Suns playing all but 3 games from 2008 until 2011.

2. Tracy McGrady

Tracy McGrady was one of the best scorers of his generation winning the scoring title twice, in 2003 (32.1 ppg) and 2004 (28.0 ppg). He reached the status of the highest-paid player in the league but never made a significant playoff during his prime. McGrady finished his career as a seven-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, and winner of the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2001.

McGrady entered the NBA straight out of high school and was selected as the ninth overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 1997 NBA draft. Beginning his career as a low-minute player, he gradually improved his role with the team, eventually forming a duo with his cousin Vince Carter. In 2000, he left the Raptors for the Orlando Magic, where he became one of the league’s most prolific scorers and a candidate for the NBA MVP Award. In 2004, he was traded to the Houston Rockets, where he paired with center Yao Ming but failed to go past the first playoff round. After multiple shoulders and knee injuries, McGrady lost his outstanding athleticism and was only a shadow of his further version as a player. He went on to have short stints with the Knicks, Pistons, and Hawks and after an episode in China, he came back with the Spurs and was a member of the team that almost won the championship in 2013. 

3. Penny Hardaway

Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway was the best tall point guard the game has seen after Magic Johnson. He came into the league as a second pick at the 1993 NBA Draft, teaming up with young Shaquille O’Neal which made the Orlando Magic a legit contender right away. Penny was a great scorer and playmaker at the same time and one of the most attractive players in the mid-1990s. The team from Florida made it to the NBA Finals after only 7 seasons in the league in 1995. After Shaq decided to move to LA, Penny was ready to be the face of the franchise but then the injuries came up and Penny was not able to reach his full potential. After having over 20 points and seven assists per game, he went down to single-digit numbers and a role player status. Penny spent six seasons with the Magic, four and a half with the Phoenix Suns, and then went on for short stints with the New York Knicks, and the Miami Heat.

4. Yao Ming

Yao Ming is the best basketball player in the history of China and one of the players who played the biggest role in the expansion of basketball popularity in Asia. After playing five seasons in his native country, the 7’6’’ giant was selected as the No. 1 pick at the 2002 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. With his size, he made the other centers look small but Yao also had amazing basketball skills and a soft touch. He started very well with the Rockets, missing only two games in the first three seasons in the NBA but then the injuries appeared and quickly made him to retire. Given his gigantic size, his feet just couldn’t adapt to the NBA pace and Yao was often sidelined and his recovery process never went as quickly as predicted. After missing the entire 2009-10 season with a foot injury, Yao tried to come back the next one but after only 5 games he realized he will never be able to do so, and retired in 2011. He was an eight-time NBA All-Star and had 5 All-NBA selections. Yao averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game in seven seasons in the NBA.

5. Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose is still active in his 14th season in the NBA but is the latest example of how injuries can, if not ruin, then slow down a superstar’s career. Rose came into the league in 2008 as the top pick at the NBA Draft and only after three seasons was named MVP becoming the youngest player ever to receive the most impressive individual award. Rose was by far the most explosive player in the league often finishing strong high above the rim. But then, the 2012 NBA playoff came and Rose tore his ACL in the garbage time in the first-round game against the Philadelphia 76ers. After that game, nothing was the same for Rose and the Bulls. The star point guard missed the entire next season and right after he returned, he tore the meniscus in the other knee. Another long break was ahead of him and no one really believed that the former MVP will ever play again. Despite the odds, Rose came back a year later but was never the same player. He left Chicago after 8 years and had short stints with the New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. One of the best stories of the 2018-19 season was his 50-point game against the Utah Jazz which is his career-high. In 2021, Rose came back with the Knicks where he still plays and was one of the key players in the Knicks’ 2021 first playoff appearance after 8 years.

6. Brandon Roy

Brandon Roy was one of the best shooting guards in the late 2000s but he showed only a glimpse of his talent before injuries took a toll on him. In his first four seasons in the league, Roy made three All-Star teams and was a member of the second and third All-NBA teams twice. He put the Trail Blazers on his back and was one of the most clutch players at the time. Unfortunately, his knees were not ready for the NBA level and their condition is better described as knee damages than just injuries. In the 2008 preseason, Roy underwent a 20-minute medical procedure in Vancouver, Washington, during which team physician Don Roberts removed a piece of cartilage that was causing irritation in Roy’s left knee and that is how it all started. At first, Roy was able to get back in full shape earning him a max deal with the Blazers but soon the end of his career came. After 5 years with the Blazers, Roy missed an entire season without a contract and returned with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012. Unfortunately, Roy played only 5 games for the Wolves and was forced to retire in 2013 at the age of 29. Roy announced that his knees had degenerated so much that he lacked cartilage between the bones of both knees.

7. Greg Oden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buCFQR4_2vE

Another example of the Blazer’s lack of fortune is Greg Oden. The center was so good and promising at college that he was selected as the top pick at the 2007 NBA Draft in front of Kevin Durant. Before he made his NBA debut, Oden had microfracture surgery on his ailing right knee which caused him to miss the entire rookie season. Since he didn’t play a single minute in the first season after being drafted by the Blazers, Oden was considered a rookie for the following season as well. And right after he was finally ready to step on the NBA court, Oden left his NBA debut with a foot injury after playing thirteen scoreless minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers. He returned in mid-November of 2008, after missing two weeks, and scored his first NBA points in the first quarter against the Miami Heat. In February 2009, Oden injured his left knee in a game against the Golden State Warriors, by bumping knees with opponent Corey Maggette, and missed three weeks due to a chipped knee cap. He finished that season with 61 appearances and everything seemed right but no one knew that Oden will play for only 44 more games in his career. In December of the following season, Oden injured his left knee and was taken off the court on two connected stretchers. Later, he underwent surgery for a fractured left patella and missed the rest of the season. In November 2010, the Blazers announced that Oden would have microfracture surgery on his left knee, ending his 2010–11 season. The injury marked Oden’s third NBA season cut short due to a knee injury.

The following December, the Trail Blazers announced that Oden had suffered an unspecified “setback” that left them less optimistic about his ability to play in the 2011–2012 season. Next February Oden underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and only 17 days later was scheduled for another one. However, during the operation, further damage to the articular cartilage was discovered, and Oden underwent his third micro-fracture surgery. Shortly after, the Blazers waived Oden. He tried to make a comeback in 2014 with the Miami Heat but appeared in only 23 games before he retired.

8. Jay Williams

The previous players on the list can blame bad luck for their injuries but Jay Williams is the only one whose decision actually ruined his career. After entering the NBA as the second pick at the 2002 NBA Draft coming from Duke as one of the best college players, Williams was given the starting point guard spot with the Chicago Bulls. Right after finishing his rookie season, Williams’ career had a wrong turn. On the night of June 19, 2003, Williams was riding a motorcycle at a fast rate of speed on the North Side of Chicago. He crashed his Yamaha YZF-R6 motorcycle into a streetlight. Williams was not wearing a helmet, nor was he licensed to ride a motorcycle in Illinois, and he was also violating the terms of his NBA Bulls contract by riding a motorcycle. Williams’ injuries included a fractured pelvis, a severed main nerve in his leg, and three torn ligaments in his left knee, including the ACL. He required lengthy physical therapy to regain the use of his leg. When it became clear that Williams would not be returning to the Bulls for a long time, if at all, because of his severe injuries, the Bulls had no choice but to waive him and drop him from the roster. Legally, the Bulls did not have to pay Williams any remaining salary at all because his severe injuries occurred while he violated the terms of his contract by riding a motorcycle. However, the Bulls organization decided to give Williams $3 million when they waived him so Williams could use the funds toward his future rehabilitation expenses. He never returned to basketball.