Published 09:35 IST, February 12th 2020
Paul George to Gordon Hayward: 5 worst injuries of all-time in NBA
NBA 2019-20: From Paul George to Gordon Hayward, many NBA stars have injured themselves during the game. Here are some of the worst NBA injuries of all time.
Throughout the years, the NBA has seen some gruesome injuries. From Paul Geroge to Gordon Hayward, many NBA stars have injured themselves during the game. Here are some of the worst NBA injuries of all time.
NBA injuries: Paul George's 2014 USA scrimmage injury
On July 31, Paul George suffered from one of the worst injuries in NBA history. While playing for the Team USA, Paul George tried for a chase-down block on James Harden. However, when Paul George came down, his foot landed on the hoop's backstop, causing it to snap. According to the reports, Paul Goerge had suffered from a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula. He had to undergo two hours of surgery in order to get a pin placed in his knee. Paul George, who currently plays for the LA Clippers, came back from the injury and continues to play in the NBA.
NBA injuries: Gordon Hayward's injury during the 2017 regular-season opener
Halfway through the first period of NBA 2017-18's regular-season opener between Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, Gordon Hayward suffered from an injury similar to Paul George's. Gordon Hayward's leg twisted underneath him as he fell while trying to catch an alley-oop pass. His ankle snapped and the forward had yelled in horror after looking at his leg. Just like Paul George, Gordon Hayward had been diagnosed with a dislocated ankle and fractured tibia. He recovered from the injury and is currently averaging at 17.1 points for the Celtics.
Also read | Hayward scores 29, Celtics hold off Heat 109-101
NBA injuries: Shaun Livingston's gruesome 2007 injury
On February 26, 2007, Shaun Livingston snapped his leg during a Clippers vs Charlotte Bobcats game. Livingston tried for a layup and did not time his landing properly. His leg snapped, and he suffered from a torn ACL, PCL, torn lateral meniscus, a badly sprained MCL and dislocation of the Patella and tibia-fibulae joint. Due to the injuries' gruesome nature, the NBA did not show the entire clip on TV. At first, the doctors even suggested that the leg should be amputated. Livingston took over eight months to start walking and ended up making a return to the NBA. He played with a lot of teams before ending up with the Golden State Warriors, with whom he played five seasons.
NBA injuries: Andrew Bogut's 2010 elbow injury
In April 2010, Andrew Bogut dislocated his elbow while taking on the Phoenix Suns. Bogut caught a bast-break pass and tried for a dunk when Amare Stoudemire came up from behind. Though Bogut tried to brace his fall, he broke his arm badly in the process and suffered from a dislocated elbow, fractured right hand and sprained wrist. Bogut too played with multiple teams before ending up with the Warriors.
NBA injuries: Joe Johnson's face injury
In NBA 2004-05, Phoenix Suns were at the top of the Western Conference standings with Joe Johnson as their rising star. However, during Game 3 of the Round 2 playoffs against the Mavericks, Johnson fell on his face. He went up for a contested dunk where he got hit by Jerry Stackhouse and directly landed on his face. Though Johnson got up to shoot his free throws, he could not continue. He ended up undergoing orbital fracture surgery and the Suns went on to lose their Championship. In 2015, Johnson admitted that if not for his injury, they might have won the championship.
Updated 09:35 IST, February 12th 2020