20 NBA Hall-of-Fame careers that were cut short by injury

NBA Hall-of-Fame career cut short: Andrew Bynum

Los Angeles Lakers big man averages a double-double routinely and anchors a top-tier defense, winning multiple titles. That by-line has applied to a number of Hall of Fame players over time, from George Mikan and Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal. The odd man out? Andrew Bynum.

The Lakers drafted Bynum 10th overall straight out of high school in 2005 and developed him into a really good starting center. Bynum became a full-time starter midway through his second season and became a double-double machine, averaging 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds by his third season.

Yet Bynum could never stay healthy, with minor injuries continuing to pop up and limit his availability. Yet he was healthy for their title runs, starting for the Lakers in 2009 and 2010 when they won titles. In 2011-12 Bynum played 60 games and made the All-Star team in the Western Conference, and was the Second-Team All-NBA center that year as well. In the playoffs, he became the third player in NBA history to put up a playoff triple-double involving blocks.

That summer Bynum was included in the massive four-team trade that landed Dwight Howard in Los Angeles, with Bynum joining the Philadelphia 76ers. Prior to the season, Bynum underwent treatment on his knees, then suffered a setback while bowling that ended up wiping out the entire season. His knees continued to debilitate from there, and he would play in just 26 games the next year before being forced into retirement.

It may seem like a longshot for Bynum to be in Hall of Fame consideration, but when he was healthy his peak was terrifying. He was a high-level defender who could absolutely punish opponents on the glass and on the block. The league loved to vote for Lakers big men, so if he was healthy during his early years he probably makes more All-Star appearances and the Lakers probably keep him rather than flipping him in a package for Dwight Howard. Instead, his career fizzled out by the age of 26 and his shot at earning a place in the pantheon was gone.