8 players who had their careers cut short because of injuries
Grant Hill
Grant Hill is one of the greatest all-around basketball players in NBA history but has bones that could be made of actual glass. Despite suffering some grueling long-term injuries, he has always bounced back and been an effective basketball player. His 19 seasons in the NBA speak more to Hill’s toughness than anything else. Which is exactly the type of player he was on the basketball court.
Hill attended Duke University in 1990 where he was another standout college player under Coach Mike Krzyzewski. His first two years with the Blue Devils, they won two national titles. He was also named the ACC player of the year in 1994. Perhaps his most famous college play was his full court pass to Christian Laettner in the 1992 national title game against Kentucky.
Hill went on to have some early NBA success with the Detroit Pistons. His early years were defined by a shared rookie of the year award with Jason Kidd, notching the triple double crown in the 1995-96 season, and averaging over 20 points per game, a feat he would never touch again in his career. Grant Hill was one of the fore-fathers to the complete all-around basketball players, much like LeBron James has perfected today. His size, passing, shooting, and dribbling ability made him a treasure on the basketball court.
But in the 2000 playoffs, as Hill set his mind on winning an NBA championship, he suffered an injury that would make him never be the same player he once was. Hill slightly sprained his ankle just before the regular season was concluding and the playoffs were beginning. However, Hill was such a tough player he wasn’t going to allow a simple ankle sprain to rob him of his chance at competing in the NBA playoffs. This would prove to be an unwise decision as the injury effected his play for years to come.
Hill spent the rest of his career battling lingering ankle injuries among other setbacks in his health. He never really was the same player before after that injury in his sixth NBA season. For the next twelve seasons he bounced around from the Orlando Magic to the Phoenix Suns, before finally retiring in his 18th NBA season with the LA Clippers.
Even though he played for so long, Hill was on his way to being one of the all-time greats. His numbers earlier in his career were comparable to the likes of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Oscar Robinson, and LeBron James. Nonetheless, Hill did get to retire on his own terms, something most of the members on this list cannot claim. But still, a disappointing end to what could have been a career full of triple doubles and championships.
Next: Cuttino Mobley