College Basketball Stars Whose Career-Ending Injuries Broke NBA Dreams

Derrick Rose never reached his peak in the NBA due to several injuries. This made the fans call him the Rose Who Never Blossomed. His case is classic and serves a powerful reminder that despite young superstars toiling hard, not many of them reach at the pinnacle of success. A string of injuries often devours their dreams of going big in their career. The college basketball world is plagued with this career-ending curse.

Over the years, there have been numerous college players whose dreams got broken because of their career-ending injuries. Some of them faded from the scene as if they never existed.

Players whose injuries crushed their NBA dreams

Derrick Roland: Roland wrote his name in the books of some of the best players to ever set foot in college basketball history. With his extraordinary scoring ability and lockdown defense he was a force to be reckoned with. Because of his defense, Roland was selected to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team in 2008. His talents assured the world that he would be the next big thing in the NBA but what came next for him, still hurts the fans to this day.

During the 2009-10 season, Texas A&M had a game against Washington. In the game, Roland rushed to make a layup, however, as he landed, an awkward twist and impact on the side of his foot resulted in a chilling moment as the whole crowd went silent and covered their eyes. The leg of Roland snapped, fracturing both his tibia and fibula.

“Everything was numb. Besides a burning sensation,” Roland said in an interview with My Aggie Nation. Despite his several attempts to make a comeback, Roland failed to make it to the NBA.

Kevin Ware: Ware played for Louisville as a guard. With the help of Ware the Louisville boys reached the Final fours. But what happened in their last match, kept everyone from celebrating. In their match against the Duke, the ball was in the possession of the Blue Devils. As they tried to attempt a three-point shot, Ware gave his best to block the ball. But doing so he landed with all his weight on his right leg in the wrong way. Landing in such a way resulted in a career-ending injury for the young star. During the fall, he suffered a compound fracture of the tibia. 

The fans in the arena could see his broken bone sticking out of his skin as they all went silent after this incident. Later it was found out that after suffering from this injury, Ware told his teammates to just win the game for him. And that’s exactly what they did.

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Suffering from such a horrifying injury he went undrafted during the 2016 NBA draft. While he did play in several professional leagues his dream of making it to the NBA was broken.  

Greg Oden: One of the most heartbreaking stories in basketball history is of Oden. The 7-foot center from Ohio State University was a dominant force in college, leading his team to the NCAA Championship game in 2007. His shot-blocking ability and agility for a player of his size drew comparisons to NBA legends. 

However, a series of knee injuries plagued Oden, preventing him from realizing his full potential in the NBA. Drafted first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007, Oden’s career was cut short because of his injuries, leaving fans to wonder what could have been.

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In the end, the tales of Roland, Ware, and Oden serve as powerful reminders of the unpredictability of the game of basketball. And as the fans and young basketball athletes revisit their stories, they understand the heavy toll injuries can take on their game and future.