The Shortest NBA Careers in History

From unproven rookies to injury-prone veterans, these are the NBA players with the shortest careers in history.

NBA

There have been a number of NBA players who have had very short careers due to injury or other reasons. Here are some of the shortest NBA careers in history.

Gheorghe Muresan – 2 games
Muresan, a 7’7″ center from Romania, played just two games for the Washington Bullets in the 1996-97 season before he was forced to retire due to a back injury.

Jay Williams – 9 games
Williams, the second overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft played just nine games for the Chicago Bulls in his rookie year before suffering a serious leg injury in a motorcycle accident that ended his career.

Royce White – 10 games
White, a first-round pick of the Houston Rockets in 2012, appeared in just 10 games for the team during his rookie season before he was sidelined with an anxiety disorder.

Shortest NBA Careers

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men’s Professional Basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional Basketball League in the world.

Many players have had successful NBA careers, but some have not been so lucky. Here is a list of the shortest NBA careers in history:

1. William Bedford – 3 games
2. Frederic Weis – 2 games
3. Chris Washburn – 3 seasons
4. Marcus Liberty – 3 seasons
5. Dennis Rodman – 2 seasons

History

In the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA), there have been numerous players who have had very short careers. This can be due to a number of reasons, such as injuries, poor performance, or personal reasons.

One of the shortest NBA careers belongs to former player Yao Ming who only played for five seasons before retiring due to injuries. Other notable players with short NBA careers include Greg Oden Brandon Roy, and Julius Erving

Players

In the NBA, players come and go all the time. Some players are drafted and then never make it onto an NBA court Others play a few games and then get released. And some have long, successful careers.

But what about the players who have the shortest NBA careers in history? Here are five players whose NBA careers lasted less than 24 minutes.

Player A: He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999 but never played a game for them. He was then signed by the Houston Rockets in 2000 but only played in two games before being released.

Player B: He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 1992 but only played in four games before being released.

Player C: He was signed by the Miami Heat in 2001 but only played in one game before being released.

Player D: He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 1998 but only played in three games before being released.

Player E: He was signed by the Orlando Magic in 1999 but only played in two games before being released.

Reasons for Short Careers

There are a number of reasons why an NBA player might have a short career. It could be due to injury, lack of skill, or simply not being able to make the cut in a competitive league. Whatever the reason, these players had the shortest NBA careers in history.

Reasons for Short Careers
Injury is one of the most common reasons for a short NBA Career Although players are getting better at managing their bodies and taking care of themselves, they are still human and susceptible to injury. A major injury can not only take a player out for an extended period of time, but it can also affect their performance when they do return. This can lead to a decline in minutes played and eventually getting cut from the team.

Lack of skill is another reason why some players have short NBA careers. Although they may have been stars in college or High School the jump to the professional level is often too much for them to handle. They may be unable to keep up with the speed and physicality of the game and end up getting cut or riding the bench for most of their time in the league.

For some players, it simply comes down to not being able to make the cut in a competitive league. There are only so many roster spots available on an NBA team and if a player is not one of the best 25 or so available, they will likely get cut. This is especially true for players who are on the fringe of making an NBA roster They may get called up for a couple games here and there but will ultimately spend most of their time in the minors or overseas.

Lack of Playing Time

Many NBA Rookies don’t end up playing much, if at all, during their first season. Some of these players are drafted late in the NBA Draft and are simply not good enough to make an impact on their team. Others are drafted high but get buried on the bench behind established veterans. And still others suffer injuries that prevent them from ever stepping foot on an NBA Court

But what about those rare players who do manage to get onto the court but still end up having the shortest NBA careers in history? Here are five players who each played in only a handful of NBA games before their careers came to an abrupt end.

Chris Washburn: 3 games
Chris Washburn is infamous for being one of the biggest busts in NBA history The third overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft Washburn played just three games for the Golden State Warriors before being out of the league for good. His career was derailed by drug addiction and he ended up serving time in prison for cocaine possession.

Roy Tarpley: 7 games
Roy Tarpley was another highly touted draft pick who never lived up to his potential due to drug abuse. The seventh overall pick in 1986, Tarpley played seven games for the Dallas Mavericks before being banned from the NBA for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He attempted a comeback in 1994 but was again banned from the league after testing positive for cocaine use.

Art Schlichter: 10 games
Art Schlichter is best known for his Gambling addiction which led to his downfall as an NFL quarterback and eventually landed him in prison. But Schlichter also had a brief stint in the NBA, playing ten games for the Indiana Pacers during the 1982-83 season. He was out of basketball (and back in prison) by 1984.

Dennis Hopson: 11 games
Dennis Hopson was selected third overall by the New Jersey Nets in 1987, but he disappointing during his rookie season and ended up getting traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers midway through the year. He lasted just 11 games with his new team before being released, and he never played another game in the NBA (or any other professional basketball league).

Leon Rodgers: 13 games
Leon Rodgers is probably best remembered as one of Michael Jordan’s teammates on UNC’s 1982 NCAA championship team, but he also had a brief stint in the NBA withthe Chicago Bulls He playe3d just 13 minutes over four preseason games before getting cut bythe team prior tothe start ofthe regular season

Injuries

Injuries are one of the biggest factors in an NBA player’s career. Some are able to come back from them and have long, successful careers, while others are never the same after an injury. Here are the shortest NBA careers in history, all of which were cut short by injuries.

Ralph Sampson – 7 seasons
Sampson was the first overall pick in the 1983 NBA draft and was a 3-time All-Star during his 7-year career. However, injuries limited him to just 486 games, and he was never able to reach his full potential.

Bill Walton – 9 seasons
Walton is one of the greatest college basketball players of all time, winning 3 NCAA Championships and 2 National Player of the Year awards. He was also named MVP of the NBA Finals in 1977, but injuries limited him to just 9 seasons in the NBA. He played in just 464 games during his career.

Grant Hill – 19 seasons
Hill is a 6-time All-Star and was once considered one of the best players in the NBA. However, injuries limited him to just 837 games during his 19-year career.

Retirement

There have been countless NBA players who have had successful careers spanning 10, 15, or even 20 years. However, there have also been those whose time in the league was cut short by injury or other unforeseen circumstances. Here are some of the shortest NBA careers in history.

Chris Washburn: 3 years
Chris Washburn is widely considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history He was selected 3rd overall by the Golden State Warriors in 1986 but was never able to live up to the hype. He averaged just 6.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game during his three-year career and was out of the league by 1989.

Fred Brown: 4 years
Fred Brown’s career got off to a promising start when he was named Rookie of the Year in 1971 after averaging 17 points per game for the Seattle SuperSonics However, he would only play four seasons in the league, averaging 12 points per game before retiring in 1975.

William Bedford: 4 years
William Bedford was another high-profile draft bust when he was taken 10th overall by the Detroit Pistons in 1986. He played just four seasons in the league, averaging less than 5 points per game before his career came to an abrupt end.

Trades

In the NBA, trades are a part of life. Teams are always looking to improve by trading for players that fit their system better or that they think will be more successful in the future. However, not every trade works out and sometimes players are traded multiple times in their careers.

The list below shows the 10 shortest NBA careers in history, according to total games played All of these players were traded at least once in their careers, and some were traded multiple times.

1. Ronnie Brewer – 449 games
2. Jason Collins – 516 games
3. Gerald Green – 517 games
4. J.J. Hickson – 518 games
5. Steve Francis – 520 games
6. Michael Beasley – 521 games
7. Dennis Scott – 522 games
8. Howard Eisley – 523 games
9. Eddie House – 525 games
10. Tyrone Hill –526 games

Free Agency

In the NBA, Free agency is when a player’s contract expires and they are free to sign with any team. There is a lot of movement each offseason as players sign new contracts, often for much more money than they were previously making.

However, not all free agents are able to land lucrative deals. In fact, some players find that their careers come to an abrupt end after their contract expires. Here are some of the shortest NBA careers in history.

ChrisMcCullough: Played just two seasons in the NBA before being out of the league.
DexterPittman: Played three seasons in the NBA before being out of the league.
GregOden: Played five seasons in the NBA before being out of the league.