Five promising NBA careers ruined by tragic injuries
Over the years, NBA fans have seen several promising careers ruined by injuries. Sometimes these injuries prevent a player from making it out of the starting gate following the draft, while other times they derail what appears to be a budding career.
Let's take a look at five promising careers ruined by tragic injuries.
#5 - Bill Walton
Bill Walton earned a spot in the Hall of Fame despite his career being largely hampered by injuries. As a two-time NBA champion and a Finals MVP, Walton could have given more if it wasn't for injuries.
After the 1979-80 season, in which he played just 14 games, Walton retired for several years due to injuries before making a return in the 1982-93 season.
#4 - Yao Ming
There was hype around Yao Ming when he joined the NBA. Year after year, the big man continued to improve his averages leading up to his career-high 25.0ppg season in 2006-07. By that time, he had already cemented his place as one of the most dominant forces in the league.
Unfortunately, injuries cut his career short after he fractured his foot and missed the 2009-10 season. Given his spectacular averages from 2002-2009, his career could have been even more spectacular had it not been for injuries.
#3 - Greg Oden
Talking about the greatest 'what ifs' in league history, Greg Oden's always comes up. After being drafted first in the 2007 NBA draft, Oden entered the league as a rookie in the 2008-09 season.
In his debut, he suffered a foot injury, which marked the beginning of one of the most disappointing careers in league history. Despite being a highly touted prospect, Oden played just 105 games over three seasons spanning six seasons.
#2 - Brandon Roy
Brandon Roy's career took off with the Portland Trail Blazers, as he continued to improve on his game year after year. Unfortunately for the guard, his promising career came to an unexpected halt and forced him to retire.
Due to a degenerative knee condition, Roy was left with no cartilage between the bones in both of his knees after earning three All-Star selections in five years.
#1 - Jay Williams
Before being drafted No. 2 by the Chicago Bulls in the 2002 NBA draft, Jay Williams was an NCAA champion and National College Player of the Year. The promising rookie season of the former two-time Consensus first-team All-American with the Chicago Bulls was great until he got into a motorcycle accident.
He fractured his pelvis, severed a nerve in his leg, and tore three ligaments in his knee (ACL included). It took a gruelling physical therapy regimen just for Williams to walk again, ultimately forcing him to retire despite an attempted return.