5 NBA Players Whose Careers Ended Due to Injury
Some NBA players don't get to end their careers on their own terms.
Injuries are inevitable in the NBA. The 82-game season can take a toll on these superstars. Players will take hard bumps and dives in competitive games. You can only hope that your favorite players can stay healthy and only suffer minor injuries.
Unfortunately, there will be occasions where a major injury could cut a career short. It is always tragic to see a young player leave the league when it seems like their best years are ahead of them. Here are five NBA players whose injuries forced them to make an early exit from pro basketball.
Brandon Roy was a solid player when he was healthy.
1. Brandon Roy
- Position: Shooting guard
- Draft: 6th pick in the 1st round of the 2006 Draft
- Career: 2006-2011, 2012-2013
- Accolades: Three-time All-Star, All-NBA Second Team selection, All-NBA Third Team selection, Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie First Team selection
Right off the gate, Brandon Roy was one of the best shooting guards in the league. In his rookie debut, he scored 20 points against his hometown team—the Seattle Supersonics. He would then go on to average double figures in his maiden season. For this performance, Roy won the Rookie of the Year Award.
Roy's rookie numbers were impressive. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.2 SPG. Roy's sophomore season was even better with 19.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.8 APG and 1.1 SPG. It looked like Roy would be the Trailblazers' franchise player.
The Blazers were able to surround Roy with some quality pieces such as LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Andre Miller, Wesley Matthews and Greg Oden. The future was looking bright for Roy and the Portland Trailblazers. The team seemed to be resurrected after the troublesome JailBlazers era.
Alas, this was not meant to be as Roy's knees gave out on him. He had these problems back in college, and they seemed to be resurfacing. On April 11, 2010, Roy had a knee injury that would be the beginning of the end of his promising NBA career. An MRI showed a meniscus tear. Roy was able to come back that year for some postseason heroics.
Despite looking seemingly okay at the beginning of the 2010 season, Roy's knees gave out on him in December of that year. He underwent surgery and was back in February, but he now had a reserve role and was playing fewer minutes.
Despite the injuries, he valiantly played in the Dallas postseason series, and it was vintage Roy in Game 4. The Blazers would eventually lose the series in six games, and these would be Roy's last games in a Blazer's jersey.
Roy retired in 2011 due to persistent knee issues. He made an attempt to come back in the 2012-2013 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves—the team that drafted him. The comeback was short-lived, and he only lasted for five regular-season games. Since retiring, he has had a career as a high school basketball coach. In 2017, he received the Naismith National High School Coach of the Year award.
Greg Oden was like a repeat of the infamous Sam Bowie draft pick.
2. Greg Oden
- Position: Center
- Draft: 1st pick in the 1st round of the 2007 Draft
- Career: 2007-2014
The Portland Trailblazers do not seem to have luck when it comes to injuries. Their prized pick in the Michael Jordan draft, Sam Bowie, was a standout in Kentucky, but he was marred by leg injuries. Their shooting guard of the future, Brandon Roy, was maligned with knee issues. Now it was their center in the Kevin Durant draft that was being hit with knee problems. The Blazers simply could not catch a break.
Greg Oden was supposed to be the next great defensive center. In college, Oden played for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Along with teammate Mike Conley Jr, they dominated the collegiate ranks en route to a championship game against the Florida Gators. Though they lost the game, Oden was an absolute beast with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Portland were impressed with Oden's dominance and picked him over Texas Longhorn star Kevin Durant. This would turn out to be a costly error in hindsight. It has been compared to the time the Blazers picked Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
From the get-go, the prospects appeared bleak for Oden's career. Before the season even began, he had microfracture surgery. This sidelined him for what should have been his rookie season.
In his second year, Oden was at the healthiest he had been in his entire career, and he played 61 games. Even then, he still had his fair share of injuries. He had a foot injury in his NBA debut. He then had a knee injury in February.
In his third season, Oden showed some promising signs of improvement. He scored a career-high of 24 points and 20 rebounds. However, he only played 21 games due to more knee injuries.
Oden sat out the 2010-2011 season and concentrated on rehab. He hoped to come back the next season and try to revive his NBA career. Unfortunately, various issues and surgeries would delay this return. He would miss three full seasons, and Portland would waive Oden in 2012.
Oden attempted a comeback with the Miami Heat in the 2013-2014 season. Powered by the "big three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Miami made it to the Finals. They were promptly decimated by the San Antonio Spurs.
It was not that Oden was a bad player. He was simply too fragile for the rigors of NBA basketball. Because of his severe injury history and mature looks, many people suspected Oden of being much older than he actually was. Some even joked that he was LeBron James' dad.
Oden would be out of the NBA after the 2013-2014 season. He would spend one season in the Chinese Basketball Association in the 2015-2016 season. After his basketball career came to an end, Oden returned to Ohio State to get his degree. He would graduate in 2019. In 2022, he became the director of basketball operations at Butler University.
Jay Williams has become a cautionary tale for young NBA players.
3. Jay Williams
- Position: Point guard
- Draft: 2nd pick in the 1st round of the 2002 Draft
- Career: 2002-2004
- Accolades: All-Rookie Second Team selection
People today know Jay Williams as a basketball analyst for ESPN. Before that, however, he was a collegiate star at Duke and was hailed as the savior of the Chicago Bulls.
While Williams was no Allen Iverson in terms of rookie impact, he still posted solid rookie numbers. He scored 9.5 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 1.1 SPG. He was inconsistent during his rookie campaign, but his high basketball IQ still shined through.
Williams' first season in the NBA would end up being his last. He crashed his Yamaha R6 motorcycle into a streetlight during the offseason. He ended up with multiple injuries that effectively ended his career. He damaged a nerve in his leg, suffered a fractured pelvis and dislocated several ligaments in his left knee. Riding a motorcycle violated Williams' contract, and he was fortunate that the Bulls still paid him out.
The Bulls moved on from Williams and drafted Kirk Hinrich to take his place on the roster. We would never know if Williams could have become a star in the league. All we have are what-ifs.
He made two comeback attempts—one with the New Jersey Nets and another with the Austin Toros, a team that was in the Development League. Both attempts did not work out. Since retiring, Williams has worked as a basketball analyst for ESPN. He covers collegiate basketball and the NBA.
Andrew Bynum was able to capture championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.
4. Andrew Bynum
- Position: Center
- Draft: 10th pick in the 1st round of the 2005 Draft
- Career: 2005-2014
- Accolades: Two-time NBA champion, All-Star and All-NBA Second Team selection
Andrew Bynum was drafted 10th in the 2005 NBA Draft with great expectations. He was a beast at St. Joseph High School where he averaged 22.4 points, 16.8 rebounds and 5.3 blocks in his senior season.
Bynum was expected to be the next great Lakers center. He was expected to follow the footsteps of George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O' Neil.
The first two seasons were an adjustment period for the former high school phenom. The Lakers did not see significant production from Bynum in his first two years.
The third season was a breakout season for Bynum. He averaged 13.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 2.1 BPG. Things were looking up for the development of the Lakers' young center.
An issue with Bynum was his constant knee problems. He did not work as hard as he should have in managing his weight to ease the pressure on his knees and in rehabbing. In fact, he even got injured while bowling.
With the Lakers, Bynum formed a twin tower combination with All-Star Pau Gasol. Bynum provided the muscle. Gasol provided the finesse.
Bynum was a key cog in the post-Shaq two-peat. With a core that included Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, the Lakers were able to beat the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic to become world champions.
On August 10, 2012, the Lakers shipped Bynum to the 76ers in the multi-team Dwight Howard trade. He has never been the same ever since. He had three unsuccessful stints in Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Indiana. Bynum would be out of the league at the age of 27.
Brad Daugherty was a huge star with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
5. Brad Daugherty
- Position: Center
- Draft: 1st pick in the 1st round of the 1986 Draft
- Career: 1986-1994
- Accolades: Five-time All-Star, All-NBA Third Team selection and All-Rookie First Team selection
Brad Daugherty came in at a time when the Cleveland Cavaliers had the perfect storm. Cleveland had acquired the 1st overall pick from the 76ers for the small price of Roy Hinson, and this became Daugherty. The Cavs used their own pick to draft Ron Harper with the 8th pick. The Cavs were also able to acquire guard Mark Price from the Dallas Mavericks. They also maximized their own second-round selection by nabbing John "Hot Rod" Williams. With four quality rookies acquired in a single season, the Cavs seemed to be destined for greatness.
Daugherty was good right off the gate. He averaged 15.7 PPG and 8.1 RPG as a rookie. He also shot an efficient 53.8%. Because of his production, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team (1987).
He would go on to become one of the premier centers in the league. He would be nominated to five All-Star selections and would average double figures for all eight seasons he spent in the league, including four seasons in which he averaged a double double.
Unfortunately, Daugherty had to call it quits after the 1993-94 season at the young age of 28 due to recurring back problems. The Cavs honored Brad's contributions by retiring his #43 jersey on March 1, 1997.
Daugherty has been pretty busy since retiring. He had been involved in a wide variety of businesses. He has also worked as an analyst for basketball and NASCAR. He is a co-owner of the JTG Daugherty Racing team.
© 2018 Jan Michael Ong
