Top 10 Sports Careers Cut Short By Injuries
It’s a pleasure to watch a skilled athlete dominate his sport. When Michael Jordan was at the top of his game during the ’90s, the NBA experienced all-time highs in television ratings and merchandise sales. People who previously didn’t care about the NBA tuned in to watch MJ duel against other stars like Magic, Ewing, Barkley, Stockton and Malone. Children emulated his iconic one-handed open legs dunk and later his fade-away jumper. But what if Jordan’s broken left foot – which caused him to miss 64 games during the 1985-86 season – never quite healed right and he never became the great player we all knew and loved? Certainly basketball wouldn’t be the same.
On the other hand, what if players like Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway never had to endure career-altering injuries? Perhaps they would be mentioned in the pantheon of all-time greats. Perhaps they would have transcended basketball. Injuries are a reality in professional sports and many gifted athletes have fallen short of their career’s full potential because of brittle bones, weak tendons and bad luck. Below is a list of players from the last few decades who were extraordinarily gifted, but their bodies – and fate – disallowed them to reach the statistical and team milestones they were capable of achieving. Some are Hall of Famers and some are not. But all still have kept us wondering: “what could have been?”
- Bo Jackson
Jackson was one of the rare modern athletes who managed to excel in two major professional sports, but he was most heralded for his ability to carry the pigskin. His size and speed on combination is unparalleled historically. Even at 6′1″and 227 pounds, he was still one of the fastest players in sports; his 4.12 40-yard dash in the Louisiana Superdome in 1986 made NFL scouts drool. His production reflected his ability. He average 5.4 yards per carry during his brief career with the LA Raiders, which was ended in 1991 when he suffered a severe hip injury during a playoff game.
- Ken Griffey Jr.
“The Kid” was arguably the best player in baseball during the ’90s. He was an exceptional defensive and offensive talent. His trophy case is filled with Gold Glove Awards, an All-Star Game MVP trophy and an AL MVP trophy. He has more than 600 career homeruns, and his swing remains silky-smooth today. But his accomplishments could’ve been even greater. His health problems started with hamstring and knee injuries during the early 2000s with the Reds, and he went on to miss hundreds of games. The decade hindered him from becoming the greatest baseball player ever and the career homerun leader that many expected.
- Grant Hill
The 2000s were also cruel to Hill, who entered the NBA in the mid-’90s as the league’s most exciting young superstar. As a rookie, he led the league in All-Star votes, and during his second year, he received more votes than Michael Jordan. The 6′8″ forward was an excellent scorer, rebounder and passer – only his injuries could stop him. During the 2000 playoffs, he played on a sprained ankle, which eventually caused him to play just four games in his first season alongside Tracy McGrady with the Magic in 2000-01. He wouldn’t play more than 30 games until 2004-05 or a full season until 2008-09.
- Penny Hardaway
Penny was the other amazingly talented player who burst onto the NBA scene during the mid-’90s but failed to meet fans’ expectations because of injuries. The 6′8″ point guard was compared to Magic Johnson; he could fill the stat sheet and look pretty doing it. The Penny/Shaq Magic were supposed to be the NBA’s next great dynasty. But Shaq left for LA in 1996 and Penny injured his left knee in 1997-98. His athleticism was never the same. He played for the Suns, Knicks and Heat before retiring in 2008.
- Terrell Davis
In April of ‘95 when Davis was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft, nobody expected him to eventually win a regular season MVP and a Super Bowl MVP. His ascendancy as one the elite running backs was brief, but he stuck around long enough to assist John Elway win two championships. In 1999, Davis tore his ACL and MCL, causing him to play just 17 games over three seasons. He retired in 2002 was the Broncos all-time leading rusher.
- Bill Walton
Because of his great career at UCLA, Walton seemed like a sure thing during the 1974 draft when the Blazers selected him first overall. And when he actually played, he was one of the elite big men in the NBA history. He was the catalyst of the Blazers run to the championship in 1977 when he won Finals MVP. But Walton’s injury problems were all-time bad. He missed two full seasons after fracturing his foot early in the 1979-80 season. He played more than 65 games just three times during his ten season career.
- JR Richard
The consequences of Richard’s health problems were far greater than just lost acclaim. His downfall was made famous during the ’90s when he was spotted living under a Houston freeway overpass. His bad luck began when he suffered a major stroke prior to game in 1980 – a season in which he had a 1.90 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 113.2 innings. Although he was one of the best pitchers of the late ’70s, his improvement continued. If he had remained healthy, a Richard and Nolan Ryan duo would’ve been tough to beat in the postseason.
- Ralph Sampson
Sampson was another Houston professional athlete who couldn’t escape the cloud of bad luck that perpetually looms over the city’s sports teams. But before his knee and back injuries, he was the only 7′4″ player who could move and handle the ball like a guard. When he teamed with Hakeem (then known as Akeem) Olajuwon to form the “Twin Towers,” the Rockets seemed like an emerging dynasty. His series-clinching shot that eliminated the Lakers in the ‘86 Western Conference Finals is regarded as one of the great moments in NBA history.
- Bernard King
King was one of the great scorers in NBA history, averaging 22.5 points per game during his career and shooting just under 52 percent from the field. He was famous for his ferocious 50 point outbursts, and he’s one of the handful of players to score 60 in a game. In 1985, he tore his ACL, and missed the entire 1985-86 season as a result. His prime-years were stolen from him, though he did manage to rebound and make the All-Star team in 1991.
- Eric Davis
Davis possessed a combination of power and speed comparable to Mays and Bonds. His best season came in 1987, when he hit .293 and tallied 37 homeruns, 100 RBIs, 120 runs and 50 stolen bases in 129 games. From ‘86 to ‘90, he had more than 20 homeruns and 20 stolen bases in each season. But Davis never played more than 135 games. His career began to slide after 1990, when he lacerated his kidney during the World Series and underwent offseason knee surgery.
