NBA Injuries: Worst Player Injuries & Recoveries

The most serious injuries in the NBA – AS.com

NBA

Open fractures, ruptures of the Achilles tendon or ligaments are some of the chilling injuries that NBA players have had to suffer. We review the most serious ones for its protagonists.

Updated to January 21, 2026 08:05 CET

In this case it was not a game match but a fight on the court in a game between the Lakers and Rockets. Kermint Washington punched Tomjanovich and he fell to the ground, unconscious, in a pool of blood. He was taken to the hospital and managed to save his life, even though he needed five operations. — Rudy Tomjanovich (Skull fracture, jaw fracture and upper jaw dislocation, nasal septum fracture, multiple facial laceration, severe concussion and spinal fluid loss, 1977)FOTO: Bettmann / Bettmann ArchiveIn this case it was not a game match but a fight on the court in a game between the Lakers and Rockets. Kermint Washington punched Tomjanovich and he fell to the ground, unconscious, in a pool of blood. He was taken to the hospital and managed to save his life, although he needed five operations.

Livingston's is one of the worst injuries in basketball history. In a game for his Clippers against the Charlotte Bobcats, after a drive to the basket, his leg entirely bent and he dislocated his knee, destroying everything in the way: anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, meniscus, tibial collateral ligament, patella and tibiofibular joint.The doctor even considered the option of amputating his leg. Fortunately, not only did he recover and walk normally again, but he also managed to win 3 rings with the Golden State Warriors. — Shaun Livingston (Anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, meniscus, tibial collateral ligament, patella and tibiofibular joint, 2007)FOTO: Richard Hartog / Getty ImagesLivingston’s is one of the worst injuries in basketball history. In a game for his Clippers against the Charlotte Bobcats, after a drive to the basket, his leg completely bent and he dislocated his knee, destroying everything in the way: anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, meniscus, tibial collateral ligament, patella and tibiofibular joint. The doctor even considered the option of amputating his leg. Fortunately, not only did he recover and walk normally again, but he also managed to win 3 rings with the golden State Warriors.

Geroge was injured in an exhibition game for the US team before the 2014 World Cup. In a jump trying to block Jarden, he collided with the base of the basket post and his leg bent 90 degrees outward. The NBA ended up moving the bases of the baskets away from the baseline after this incident. — Paul George (Compound tibia and fibula fracture, 2014)FOTO: Icon Sports Wire / Getty Imagesgeroge was injured in an exhibition game for the US team before the 2014 World Cup. In a jump trying to block Jarden, he collided with the base of the basket post and his leg bent 90 degrees outward. The NBA ended up moving the bases of the baskets away from the baseline after this incident.

Although it is not about the NBA,we include this case in this photo story due to the severity of the injury and its impact on Ware's professional career. During a University of Louisville NCAA game against Duke, Kevin Ware suffered an open fracture of his tibia and fibula. the image was so shocking that all attendees were shocked and it went around the world. He recovered and was able to play professionally, but was not chosen in the NBA draft. — Kevin Ware (Open Tibia and Fibula Fracture, 2013)FOTO: Lance King / Getty ImagesAlthough it is not about the NBA, we include this case in this photo story due to the severity of the injury and its impact on Ware’s professional career. During a University of Louisville NCAA game against Duke, kevin Ware suffered an open fracture of his tibia and fibula. the image was so shocking that all attendees were shocked and it went around the world. He recovered and was able to play professionally, but was not chosen in the NBA draft.

Ricky Rubio (Ligament 2012 and 2021) — Ricky Rubio (ligament, 2012 and 2021)FOTO: Sean Gardner / Getty ImagesWhen Rubio was a rookie in the NBA, in 2012, he suffered a torn cruciate ligament in a game for his team, the Timberwolves, against the Los Angeles Lakers. Nine years later, in December 2021, he suffered a torn ACL with the Cavaliers.

Related news

Kobe Bryant (Ruptured Achilles tendon 2013) — Kobe Bryant (Ruptured Achilles tendon, 2013)PHOTO: JEFF GROSS / AFPOne of the most painful in recent times and that, in the long run, took away the career of one of the best players in history. Kobe fell on April 12, 2013 in a game against the Golden State Warriors. His return was December 8, 2013 against the Raptors. He played only 6 games.

Kobe Bryant clutches his Achilles tendon after an injury in 2013. — Kobe Bryant (Ruptured Achilles tendon, 2013)PHOTO: JEFF GROSS / AFPOne of the most painful in recent times and that, in the long run, took away the career of one of the best players in history. Kobe fell on April 12, 2013 in a game against the Golden State Warriors. His return was December 8, 2013 against the Raptors. He played only 6 games.

The sheer audacity of Bryant’s return to the game,sinking two free throws with a torn Achilles,became a legendary testament to his Mamba Mentality. However, the road back was arduous. He managed to play just six games in the subsequent season before his career was effectively over. This injury serves as a stark reminder of how even the most dominant athletes can be brought down by the body’s limitations. It’s a scenario that resonates with any athlete who has pushed their body to the absolute brink,understanding the fine line between peak performance and catastrophic failure.

### Paul George: The Gruesome Leg Break That Stunned the World

In August 2014, during a Team USA scrimmage, Paul George suffered a compound fracture of his tibia and fibula. The image of his leg bending at an unnatural angle is one that no basketball fan will ever forget. It was a horrific injury that, at the time, seemed to signal the end of his promising career.