These NBA Players Were NEVER THE SAME After This INJURY... (Derrick Rose, Brandon Roy, etc) Subscribe to Hoopers Nation here ▶ https://bit.ly/3fVgDrM WATCH NEXT👇 Ranking The TOP 7 GREATEST DUOS In NBA History (2020 Edition) https://youtu.be/UTHO5aXKhT8 Related Videos: 10 Greatest Players Careers ENDED By INJURIES https://youtu.be/rwPWJpJoulU 10 Former NBA Stars Whose Careers Ended TERRIBLY https://youtu.be/2n8LrYVuGWA NBA "Career Ending Injuries" Compilation https://youtu.be/0i2JYHNDOps Welcome to Hoopers Nation where we go over the latest NBA news, from life inside the NBA bubble to the backstories of players in the league. Want to hear stories about LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo, let us know in the comments below. Today, we look into the tragedy of the NBA that is injury. Injuries in the NBA have haunted many players throughout their careers from Isaiah Thomas to Yao Ming to Derrick Rose. Even know with the return of Kevin Durant next season the concern about how his injury will affect him is still great. 8. Isaiah Thomas Coming apparently out of nowhere, 5-foot-9 Isaiah Thomas shocked the world when, by the end of the 2016-17 regular season, Thomas had firmly put himself in the league MVP discussion. That was the year when Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double for the first time, so beating him and other worthy contenders like James Harden would always be tough, but nobody really expected Thomas to rise up to MVP-caliber 7. Brandon Roy Brandon Roy was having a magnificent NBA career until his knees gave out and he could play at a high level no more. Through Roy’s first four seasons a Trail Blazer, he averaged over 20 points and five assists while shooting almost 47% from the field and 35% from three. These were great numbers that brought the Blazers back to relevance as Roy balled out alongside a young LaMarcus Aldridge. In that period, he was also a three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA player, and the 2007 Rookie of the Year. 6. DeMarcus Cousins His career might not be over yet, but it isn’t a stretch to say DeMarcus Cousins had cemented himself as the best center in the league before a career-altering left Achilles tear destroyed him. He was then teammates with bellow superstar big man Anthony Davis as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, who were on quite a run but struggled without Boogie. A torn Achilles is dreadful for any player, but for a center that never had the quickest feet and relied on his strength to 5. Yao Ming One of the most popular and charismatic players to ever step foot on an NBA court, Yao Ming had a huge impact on the league’s popularity increase in China with his dominant play. Standing at 7-foot-6, Yao was so tall and so strong that it was nearly impossible to guard him. He was an iron man through his first three seasons, missing only two games in that period. But since then, multiple leg and foot injuries started causing troubles. 4. Grant Hill Don’t get us wrong, Grant Hill had a long, successful career and averaged double-digit scoring every season except for his last one as a bench veteran with the LA Clippers in 2013. But if he had a solid career fighting a 2000 ankle injury that would never stop bothering him, we can’t imagine how much better he could have been if he had been fully healthy. 3. Magic Johnson Magic Johnson didn’t exactly suffer from an injury that ruined his career. In fact, he has one of the most decorated careers in NBA history and is widely considered the best point guard of all time. But right before the start of the 1991-92 season, a physical examination determined Johnson had tested positive for HIV. The announcement sent shockwaves through not only the league, but the whole country, and Johnson was forced to retire. 2. Penny Hardaway Speaking of really good oversized point guards, Penny Hardaway is another player who struggled thanks to problematic knee issues. Through his first four seasons in the league, Penny averaged 20 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, while making three All-Star teams and three All-NBA teams, two of which were All-NBA first selections. But before the 1997-98 season, Hardaway suffered a devastating left knee injury that cost him much of that season and required surgery. 1. Derrick Rose The player you have all been waiting for, pretty much everybody is familiar with Derrick Rose’s story. He went from a three-time All-Star, All-NBA, and youngest league MVP in history to constant rehab. Just after winning the 2011 MVP, Rose signed a five-year, $95 million contract with the Bulls for 30% of the salary cap following what became known as the Derrick Rose Rule. Unfortunately, in the Bulls’ first game of the 2012 playoffs, Rose tore his ACL and missed the whole ensuing season. For a player that relied so much on his elite athleticism and speed, and ACL tear was arguably the worst injury that could’ve happened to him. #NBA #HoopersNation #NBAInjuries