Pro basketball provides much entertainment to those watching, but it can also be physically challenging to the players. The rigorous training required to stay in prime shape and release explosive bursts of energy on the court is no small feat. Players get injured on the court every season, some more devastating than others. This article will focus on the worst basketball injuries in recent history.

Gordon Hayward's Broken Leg

On October 17, 2017, Gordon Hayward, a power forward, was scheduled to start his debut game with his new team, the Boston Celtics. The game was against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Hayward was just five minutes into the game when he suffered a devastating ankle injury after a failed dunk. He didn't land in a natural position, and this caused his ankle to break into two on live television. Hayward's season ended after that injury for obvious reasons, but he made a miraculous recovery and returned to the court during the subsequent season in 2018. Unfortunately, Hayward couldn't use personal injury attorneys in Ohio to sue anybody since the injury wasn't anyone's fault.

Shaun Livingston's Knee Injury

Let's take a trip down memory lane to Shaun Livingston's injury in 2007. Livingston suffered the most horrific injury of his career, which left almost every bone in his knee damaged. The injury happened while he was with the Los Angeles Clippers, playing a game against the Charlotte Bobcats. His knee dislocated after he attempted but failed a layup maneuver and landed awkwardly. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors considered amputating his leg from the knee to save his life. Thankfully, they saved his leg, and he returned to the court after eight months of rehabilitation. Livingston went on to have a lucrative career until he finally retired in 2019. 

Paul George's Broken Leg

During a summer scrimmage in Las Vegas, Paul George, a small forward who was playing for the Indiana Pacers, broke his leg in the most horrific way possible. It happened in 2014 when George slid into the base of the basketball court after he fell while running. The injury was an open fracture, which means the leg snapped in two, and the broken bone was exposed for everyone to see. People in the court were shocked by the gruesome nature of the injury. Fortunately, the doctors could correct the damage, and George could return to the court. Despite the injury, George returned for the final game of that same season after rehabilitation.

Isaiah Thomas's Hip Injury

The final injury on this list is the hip injury Isaiah Thomas, a point guard for the Boston Celtics, suffered during a game in 2017. It was the last game of the Eastern Conference. Remember that he initially injured his hip after colliding with another player during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier in the season. Instead of sitting out for full recovery, he continued the season until the finals, worsening his condition. While other players on this list were able to rebuild their careers after injuries, Thomas's case was more complicated. The Boston Celtics traded him off to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and while he continued to play, he never regained his original form or popularity.

Conclusion

These are just a few of hundreds of players who suffered severe injuries on the field. There have been many other cases over the years.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023-24 revision of our top 50 Charlotte Hornets.

As for all of our top 50 players in basketball, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Basketball Association.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Charlotte had another awful year and was nowhere close to playoff consideration.  As this is a very young organization, there were multiple elevations and one new entrant. 

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Kenba Walker
2. Gerald Wallace
3. Larry Johnson
4. Muggsy Bogues
5. Dell Curry

You can find the entire list here.

Terry Rozier, who was traded to the Miami Heat during the season, played 30 Games for Charlotte.  There was a chasm between his #17 rank and #16, and he did not do enough to advance from that rank.

LaMelo Ball, who played less than 30 Games last year, still managed to climb up five spots to #18.  This is a testament to Ball’s skills and the lack of overall talent this Hornets incarnation has had.

The returning Miles Bridges moved up four spots to #21.

P.J. Washington, who was traded to the Dallas Mavericks during the season, went up one spot to #40.

Gordon Hayward, who retired after the season (and was also traded during the year to the Oklahoma City Thunder) advanced one rank to #45.

The new entrant is Center Nick Richards, who debuts at #48.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gordon Hayward was an All-Star in Utah, and was signed by the Boston Celtics in 2017, though he got off to a rocky start when he was injured six minutes into the season and missed the year.  Heyward never matched his production in Boston, but Charlotte hoped for better when they acquired the Forward in a sign-and-trade in 2020.

Hayward averaged 19.4 Points per Game with a 17.5 PER in his first year in Buzz City, but he his stats have declined since, posting still-respectable metrics of 15.9 and 14.7 Points per Game, though his PER dropped under 14 in 2023-24.   He played one more season, though that was split between Charlotte anf OKC, as he was traded midway through the campaign.

He retired afterward.