In an alternate reality, some players would have been NBA freaks, Hall of Famers, three-time MVPs, or whatever status a genius basketball player dreams of achieving. Unfortunately, in the very real and concrete world, injuries and events have forced them to settle for an acceptable and sadly short career compared to what their talent allowed them to hope for.
After the first part the other day, here is the story of some more of them.
These players who could not fulfill their destiny – Part 1
Shaun Livingston
Shaun Livingston is a three-time NBA champion and has had an important role as a substitute on each of the titles in question with the Golden State Warriors. He can look back with pride on his resume and what he managed to accomplish when the dice were seriously stacked against him. Livingston was a brave soldier of recognized talent, but he could have been so much more.
On February 26, 2007, three years after becoming the highest drafted high school student in history (4e), Livingston is the star of a scene that has gripped basketball America with dread. During a match between the Clippers, his team, and Charlotte, the 2m01 point guard collapsed on the floor of the Staples Center after a missed landing. The knee is crushed, out of its traditional location, the image unbearable. The verdict is implacable and terrifying: rupture of the cruciate ligaments, lesion of the meniscus and patellar tissue, displacement of the tibia-femur joint and so on.
Thirty or forty years earlier, Livingston would have had to be amputated to avoid gangrene. The Californian medical staff displays full of composure and avoids this additional drama. However, he was informed during his stay in the hospital that his leg had no chance of regaining 100% of its mobility. A lesser evil, but terrible news for a professional athlete.
Shaun Livingston announces his retirement
Determined not to give up and to disprove this prognosis, the Illinois native works like a madman and begins a journey with the aim of proving that he is still capable of playing basketball at the highest level. His rehabilitation is going wonderfully and a few employers are betting on reviving him: Miami, Tulsa in the D-League, Oklahoma City, Washington twice, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Cleveland. The pattern is the same almost everywhere. A limited playing time and a confidence rarely granted in the long term for a player with obviously less physical qualities and confidence. Then comes the rebirth for a season in Brooklyn, which allows him to catch the eye of the Warriors, with the success that we know him then.
In high school, on the side of Peoria, his talent pushed most observers to consider him a future member of the Hall of Fame. Nothing will happen. But in Shaun Livingston’s place, many would have given up and he did much better than salvage the furniture.
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