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NBA Injuries: 20 Stars Who Deserve A Career Do-Over

By Gerald Bourguet

AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Detroit Pistons player Grant Hill (L) drives around Indiana Pacers player Chris Mullin during the first half of their game 07 February at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons beat the Pacers 107-98. AFP PHOTO/JEFF KOWALSKY (Photo credit should read JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP/Getty Images)
AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Detroit Pistons player Grant Hill (L) drives around Indiana Pacers player Chris Mullin during the first half of their game 07 February at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons beat the Pacers 107-98. AFP PHOTO/JEFF KOWALSKY (Photo credit should read JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP/Getty Images) /
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NBA Injuries
Mar 21, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (34) dunks in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Golden State Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-104. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

18. Shaun Livingston

These days, Shaun Livingston is known for being an underrated and incredibly useful backup point forward for a Golden State Warriors juggernaut. His high basketball IQ, his length on the defensive end and his penchant for never ever missing turnaround jumpers have all made him vital to the Dubs’ championship-caliber depth and versatility.

But people forget about the promising future he once had in this league as a star player, even if everyone remembers the grisly injury that nearly derailed his entire career in the first place.

It was easy to see Livingston’s potential in this league early on. As a 6’7″ point guard with a massive 6’11” wingspan, he could bully defenders in the post, play multiple positions and use his athleticism to get to the basket. But in his third NBA season, a debilitating knee injury that nearly required his leg to be amputated just for Livingston to survive nearly ended his career.

WARNING: The video below is graphic and not for the faint of heart/stomach.

In a game against the Charlotte Bobcats, the promising Los Angeles Clippers youngster snapped his ACL, PCL and lateral meniscus while also spraining his MCL and dislocating his patella and tibio-fibula joint. It took months of rehab just to get him walking again, and excluding the 2007-08 season that he missed entirely, Livingston missed 101 of a possible 246 games in his first three seasons.

Over the next five years, Livingston would play in 12 games, 36 games, 73 games, 58 games and 66 games while bouncing around between SIX different teams. He re-established himself during the 2013-14 season with the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 8.3 points per game in 76 appearances…which earned him the attention of the Warriors, where he soon thrived in a complementary role on a championship team.

All of Livingston’s pain, rehab and hard work had finally come full circle, and he still plays a vital role on a potential repeat champion. But even for all the well-deserved success that makes for a feel-good story, it’s hard to not think about what Shaun Livingston might have accomplished on an individual level if not for a gruesome injury that changed everything.

Next: No. 17