... said:
14. Kevin Johnson
Career years: 1987-2000
Career Stats: 17.9 PPG 3.3 RPG 3.3 APG 1.5 SPG BPG
Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns
Back before he was the mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson was letting any and everybody have it on the hardwood. Hakeem got some and him and Doc got into it. KJ was a beast in his prime. Then there were the not so great years after he got a hernia trying to lift Oliver Miller in '92 that led to multiple muscle strains and him missing 109 in a four-year span. Had he been healthy many think KJ and Barkley could have made a coupled title runs in the West. Oh, what could've been.
13. Amar'e Stoudamire
Career years: 2002-present
Career stats: 21.3 PPG 8.6 RPG 1.4 APG SPG 1.4 BPG
Teams: Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks
Many of you know him as a the weird dressing $100 million bench player for the failure New York Knicks. If we look back at Amare's career before his microfracture surgery in '05 however, he was on his way to being one of the leagues best bigs of his generation. He had the athleticism, the power, the work ethic, and the willing passers in Steve Nash and Stephon Marbury that led to his tremendous first two seasons in Phoenix. Like others before him, he lost a lot of the lift we knew him for post surgery and despite stepping out his range as a shooter, he just never was the same. Can you imagine pre-injury Amar'e with a jumpshot? Just scary.
12. Bernard King
Career years: 1977-1993
Career stats: 22.5 PPG 5.8 RPG 3.3 APG 1.0 SPG BPG
Teams: New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Washington Bullets
A lot of you may be wondering how Bernard King cracks this list with the epic accolades and support he receives from Knick fans regularly. But what many forget is that King had five of his 14 years in the NBA cut short due to injuries which included a torn ACL in 1986 when he was at the peak of his powers in New York. A scoring beast, King managed to still have a few more good years playing for the Bullets after the Knicks released him, but he was still never himself and eventually was forced into retirement. We don't have to wonder what he could have done statistically had he played a full 14 seasons anymore. Bernard the King was inducted into the Hall of Fame earlier this year.
11. Brandon Roy
Career years: 2006-present
Career stats: 18.8 PPG 4.3 RPG 4.7 APG 1.0 SPG BPG
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves
Brandon Roy has one of the sadder stories in recent memory as far as injuries are concerned. The former Trailblazer was slowly developing into a premier player and arguably one of the best shooting guards in the league by his fourth year, but a slow degeneration of his knees led to his premature retirement. Roy had arthroscopic surgery on both knees and even tried the same platelet treatment Kobe received in Germany. He then attempted a comeback, but he just wasn't what he used to be and was waived shortly thereafter.
10. Yao Ming
Career years: 2002-2011
Career Stats: 19.0 PPG 9.2 RPG 1.6 APG SPG 1.9 BPG
Teams: Houston Rockets
One of the most important players of this era, Yao Ming made great strides as not only the Rockets center but as an ambassador of the game in terms of international outreach. Ming was the 2002 No. 1 overall pick, coming into the league with as much hype and hoopla as anybody we had ever seen. He started off slow, but by his third year Ming solidified himself as one of the best centers in the game.
Then just as he was entering his prime, he developed osteomyelitis in his big toe that sidelined him for a good portion of his fourth season and later a broken bone in his foot. After that, Yao suffered a broken knee while having his best season yet and the year after had a microfracture in his left foot. When he was healthy, Yao was almost unstoppable and had he been able to stay on the court he might have gone down as one of the best big men ever.
9. Tracy McGrady
Career years: 1997-present
Career stats: 19.6 PPG 5.6 RPG 4.4 APG 1.2 SPG 0.9 BPG
Teams: Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs
Here's a debate some of you might remember having about a decade ago: Who you got? T-Mac or Kobe? Today that question is laughable as Kobe mde his mark as not only one of the best ever but still one of the best active ballers, while McGrady isn't doing so hot. Back in '03 however, the debate actually had some legs and T-Mac was balling out of control dropping 13 points in 35 seconds, alley-ooping to himself, and just letting the league have it.
That was until the ever nagging back spasms, shoulder issues, knee injuries, and eventual microfracture surgery. Who knows where T-Mac would be? Probably not bench warming for the Spurs, for sure.
8. Larry Johnson
Career years: 1991-2001
Career stats: 16.2 PPG 7.5 RPG 3.3 APG SPG BPG
Teams: Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks
Oh, Grandmama! Knick fans vividly remember Larry Johnson for his contributions on the court and undoubtedly never being the same guy he was for the Hornets after his back injuries. During his first few years, he was a force at the power forward, averaging 20 PPG and 10 RPG. When his back went, LJ was able to successfully alter his game to be more of a perimeter player and still help his team. He retired after only 10 seasons because of the chronic back problems which possibly cost him a trip to the Hall.
7. Penny Hardaway
Career years: 1993-2007
Career Stats: 15.2 PPG 4.5 RPG 5.0 APG 1.6 SPG BPG
Teams: Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Miami Heat
You've seen and loved the Little Penny commercials. That's just a testament to just how poppin' Penny was in his heyday. Shaq's running mate before Kobe was a 6'7" guard with handle and creativity like Magic Johnson but the athleticism of a young Kobe. That was until a serious left knee injury in '98 robbed him of his abilities on a Magic squad still recuperating from Shaq bolting to L.A. With so much talent and a drive to keep at it, there's no doubt that he would have been a Hall of Famer had he been able to stay healthy.
6. Chris Webber
Career years: 1993-2008
Career stats: 20.7 PPG 9.8 RPG 4.2 APG 1.4 SPG 1.4 BPG
Teams: Golden State Warriors, Washington Bullets/Wizards, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons
Not too many players have come into the NBA with the hype, talent, and expectations that Chris Webber did. When he was drafted first overall in 1993 by the Magic, he was dealt to Golden State for Penny Hardaway. C-Webb was a supreme talent that dunked on guys left and right, had a shooting touch from 15-20, could pass better than many of the big men we had ever seen, and he had a deadly post game to boot. Webber was the full package that you'd want from your power forward.
He had some successful seasons with the Kings and Washington, but suffered a career-altering knee injury in 2003 that left him in a reduced form for the rest of his years in the league. It's hard to call Webber a bust considering his accomplishments statistically, but you have to wonder what could have been had he not had the injuries. With his skills he might have even still been in the league.
5. Grant Hill
Career years: 1994-present
Career Stats: 16.7 PPG 6.0 RPG 4.1 APG 1.2 SPG BPG
Teams: Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Clippers
Grant Hill has arguably one of the greatest "what if" NBA stories we've ever seen as it relates to catching the injury bug and having a derailed career. Hill may still be playing today, but he's a shell of what he was before he got those nagging ankle injuries that left him playing 47 games in his first four seasons with the Magic. He was a budding superstar going into the move to Orlando but the time off the court forever changed the franchise and Hill's legacy. He went from a triple-double machine/superstar with endorsements up to his ears to a solid role player.
4. Larry Bird
Career years: 1979-1992
Career stats: 24.3 PPG 10.0 RPG 6.3 APG 1.7 SPG BPG
Teams: Boston Celtics
Larry the Legend cracks this list despite playing 13 seasons for the Celtics and leading a HOF career. We all know he's one of the greatest of all time, but had he not had those nagging back injuries towards the end of his career, Bird may have went down as even greater. Three of his final four years he missed 20+ games, and by his final year he was hardly what fans and analysts knew him to be.
3. Pete Maravich
Career years: 1970-1980
Career Stats: 24.2 PPG 4.2 RPG 5.4 APG 1.4 SPG BPG
Teams: Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans/Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics
Pistol Pete was one of the most electrifying NBA players to ever lace them up. So there's no doubt that his early retirement due to injuries will go down as a travesty of drastic proportions. After putting up 44 a game in college, Maravich entered the league already a primetime player. He averaged 23.1 PPG his rookie year and upped that to a career high of 31.1 by the 1976-1977 season.
Suffering from a lack of great talent around him, Pistol stole the show for the Hawks and Jazz during his time with both team until injuries to his knees left him missing major stretches of the '75-'76 and '77-'78 seasons. He still managed to put up solid numbers in the time he did make the court, but there's just no knowing how great he might have been without the setbacks.
2. Bill Walton
Career year: 1974-1987
Career stats: 13.3 PPG 10.5 RPG 3.4 APG SPG 2.2 BPG
Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics
A favorite NBA commentator for many of us fans, Bill Walton was also one of the league's more memorable big men during his playing days. After being drafted No. 1 overall by the Blazers, Walton came into the NBA as a rebounding machine who eventually led the team to a title in 1977 and also won the MVP.
However, foot and ankle injuries plagued him the rest of his career which never allowed him to regain his Blazer heyday form. He ended up picking up a title and the Sixth Man of the Year in 1986 with the Celtics. Even with the injuries, Walton's college career and his short NBA tenure were good enough to get him into the Hall of Fame
1. Maurice Stokes
Career years:1955-1958
Career stats: 16.4 PPG 17.3 RPG 5.3 APG SPG BPG
Teams: Rochester/Cincinnati Royals
There probably aren't a lot of you who know about Maurice Stokes, but in the '50s he was pretty much Dwight Howard on steroids. Just kidding about the PEDs part of that last statement. However, he did dominate three seasons for the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals and averaged an incredible 16.4 points, 17.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, standing at only 6'7".
His career was cut extremely short when after he landed on his head during a game. He stayed in the game and a couple days later was taken to the hospital and fell into a coma. He was diagnosed with a brain injury in the form of post traumatic encephalopathy that left him paralyzed and eventually took his life in 1970. Had he stayed healthy, Stokes would've eventually teamed up with Oscar Robertson to form one of the greatest 1-2 punches in NBA history.
@ Larry Bird and Chris Webber on that list. Bird won his rings, his personal achievements as well. Chris Webber avg 21 and 10 and is going to the HOF. His statline is comparable to DRob and Ewing at the end of the day. Not everyone plays well into their mid to late 30's like Kobe. Complex doesn't know shyt about basketball and we could come up with a much better list than that.
until I looked up his stats a few years ago. This dude put up 23-5-5 his rookie year 
and even before coming to Chicago he was an 18-5-5 player. Who'd be his nba equivalent today?
@ Penny Hardaway not being