Who Broke Their Leg in the NBA?
In this post, we take a look at the NBA players who have broken their legs in recent years.
Introduction
On December 15, 2018, Cleveland Cavaliers center Kevin Love broke his left hand during a 111-98 home loss to the Detroit Pistons. The injury occurred when he collided with Pistons forward Stanley Johnson while going for a loose ball. Love was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture in his third metacarpal and was expected to miss six to eight weeks.
This list includes any player who has suffered a broken bone in their leg during an NBA game since the 1970-71 season. It does not include players who have had their legs amputated, such as Moonlight Graham or Jay Williams.
The most recent player to break their leg in the NBA was Boston Celtics guard Gordon Hayward, who fractured his tibia and dislocated his ankle during the first quarter of the Celtics’ season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 17, 2017. Hayward underwent successful surgery later that night and missed the remainder of the season.
Russell Westbrook
In 2013, Russell Westbrook suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during the first round of the playoffs. He underwent surgery and missed the remainder of the postseason.
Paul George
Paul George of the Indiana Pacers suffered a horrific injury during a Team USA intrasquad scrimmage in Las Vegas on August 1, 2014. George went up to block a layup attempt by James Harden and his left leg slammed into the bottom of the backboard stanchion. The result was a compound fracture of both the tibia and fibula in his left leg.
Dejounte Murray
San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray suffered a season-ending right knee injury against the Houston Rockets on Sunday, the team announced.
Murray, 22, was charting his own path as one of the league’s premier young guards before suffering the devastating injury. In his third season, he averaged career highs of 16 points, six rebounds and four assists per game while providing lockdown defense on some of the league’s best players.
The loss of Murray is a tough blow for a Spurs team that is trying to stay competitive in the Western Conference. They will now have to lean more heavily on veteran stars like LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay.
Conclusion
So, in conclusion, there have been many players who have broken their leg in the NBA. While it is a serious injury, many of them have come back and had successful careers. With the advances in medical technology and the understanding of how to best treat these injuries, we can only hope that the number of players suffering from this injury will decrease in the future.
