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

NBA Hall-of-Fame career cut short: Honorable Mentions

The following twenty players are those whose injuries prevented them from being Hall of Fame locks. That leaves out a segment of players who earned their way to the Hall of Fame by standout careers, but who were held shy of their true peak impact because of significant injuries.

The 1980s were ruled by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, the two rivals who propelled the NBA to new heights of popularity. The reason that the 1990s were ruled by Michael Jordan is only partially due to his personal dominance, and partially because both Bird and Magic had their careers cut short.

From 1979 to 1988, Bird won three MVPs, three titles and never missed more than eight games in a single season. A chronic back injury then scooped out the rest of his career, and he barely made it to his age-35 season before retiring, the back half of his prime constricted. Magic famously retired early due to an AIDS diagnosis, missing four whole seasons before returning for a final 32-game cameo in 1996. What could he have accomplished if he hadn’t missed those four seasons?

Kawhi Leonard is still playing and hoping to add to his legacy, but the back end of his career has been defined by injury rather than his playoff excellence. When he is healthy his teams have been contenders; when he is hurt they disappoint. His status as a top player could have been elevated even higher were he to have stayed healthy.

Chris Bosh made the Hall of Fame, but his career was cut short at age 31 due to blood clots and he could have been even higher in the historic rankings if those never came around. Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash all had elite careers shortened or lessened by serious injuries.