Fansided

5 modern-day NBA careers that ended too quickly

By David Rouben

Sep 09, 2016; Springfield, MA, USA; Yao Ming speaks during the 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Springfield Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 09, 2016; Springfield, MA, USA; Yao Ming speaks during the 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Springfield Symphony Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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DALLAS, TX - APRIL 25: (L-R) Brandon Roy #7 and Rudy Fernandez #5 of the Portland Trail Blazers in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2011 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – APRIL 25: (L-R) Brandon Roy #7 and Rudy Fernandez #5 of the Portland Trail Blazers in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2011 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

1. Brandon Roy

Brandon Roy might be the only recent player the Trail Blazers would regret drafting more than Greg Oden. But unlike him, Roy was a star in Portland. He was almost unanimously voted the Rookie of the Year, despite missing 20 games early in the season.

2008-09 remains his healthiest season, and that was when he became a franchise centerpiece. He put up career highs of 22.6 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game, with some of his highlights including a 52-point performance against the Suns. But despite his best efforts, they only made it to the playoffs as a fourth seed and got eliminated by the Houston Rockets. But since then, he tailed off dramatically.

In 2009-10, he had lingering issues throughout which forced him to miss 17 games. It carried over to the following year when he was out indefinitely due to arthroscopic knee surgery. Roy mostly came off the bench when he returned, and only averaged 12.2 points. He showed flashes of greatness, the most notable being an 18-point fourth quarter in the playoffs against the Mavericks, but his declining play, along with LaMarcus Aldridge’s surging play, made them forget about him.

Roy retired in 2011, stating that he lacked cartilages between both of his knees, but came back for one season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was an ill-fated attempt since he would only last five games before going through season-ending knee surgery, which served as a prominent reminder of how quickly one’s career can drop off. He retired for good in 2013, at the age of 28.

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Being an NBA player is a high-risk, high-reward venture. While these players were remembered as stars at one point, injuries – whether long-term ones or a series of minor ones that piled up – ravaged their careers and took them away from playing the game they love.

Going back to Chris Bosh, this may be the most difficult time of his career, but he still has a great chance of making the Hall of Fame. At the very least, he can be glad that his career didn’t wind up on the same path as some of these ill-fated players.

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