Which NBA champion(s) benefited most from injury?

[Art Vandelay]

On Life Without Durant for the Oklahoma City Thunder

This team could have a title by now had Westbrook and Ibaka not suffered ill-timed injuries during the 2013 and 2014 playoffs...

The Warriors, by the way, are a big winner here (after the 2015 Durant injury). It sounds crass, but that’s reality in the NBA. Almost every champion needs a bit of injury and matchup-related luck along the way, and injuries large and small have affected almost every playoff season. Don’t listen to any asterisk talk, ever. Look at league history and you’ll find that an injury tilted the championship odds at some point damn near every May or June.​

Some big examples, off the top of my head...

2012 & 2013 Miami Heat- Derrick Rose; Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka; Dwight Howard

2010 Lakers- Kendrick Perkins

2009 Lakers- Yao Ming; Kevin Garnett

2008 Celtics- Andrew Bynum

2005 Spurs- Joe Johnson

2004 Pistons- Karl Malone

2003 Spurs- Dirk Nowitzki

1999 Spurs- Patrick Ewing

 

[D-TOWN REP]

Of that list I'd say 2010 Lakers

Heat got some free rides to the finals though I must say

 

[Maxxam]

89 pistons when Magic and B. Scott pulled hamstrings, preventing a possible three peat.

 

[BrownTurd]

Miami Lost Bosh until most of the playoffs and he did not come back until game 7 of Boston in the eastern conference finals in 2012

Miami Heat beat the stacked Bulls team with MVP Rose 5-1

Miami also beat the better OKC team who had Harden, Westbrook and Durant 5-1

 

[alexw]

89 pistons when Magic and B. Scott pulled hamstrings, preventing a possible three peat.

the same could be said for the 88 lakers when zeke got hurt

he was busting their ass until the injury and that terrible foul call in game 6 or 7

 

[BDR]

Of that list I'd say 2010 Lakers

Heat got some free rides to the finals though I must say

hatin ass nigga

 

[Maxxam]

the same could be said for the 88 lakers when zeke got hurt

he was busting their ass until the injury

True.
My man had 25 or something like that in one quarter on that busted ankle ... Much respect for Zeke

 

[Art Vandelay]

Of that list I'd say 2010 Lakers

Heat got some free rides to the finals though I must say

I think, in terms of impact, a free ride to the finals is more significant than battling your way to the finals and facing a team that loses an important (but second-level) player for a couple of games in a tough series.

 

[curryshotta]

Miami Lost Bosh until most of the playoffs and he did not come back until game 7 of Boston in the eastern conference finals in 2012

Miami Heat beat the stacked Bulls team with MVP Rose 5-1

Miami also beat the better OKC team who had Harden, Westbrook and Durant 5-1

Miami dealt with injury issues in their last 3 playoff runs.....but dudes conveniently forget that shit


and I suppose this is where bgol conveniently elevates derrick rose to demigod status where he was going to lead the bulls to their next 6 championships

 

[D-TOWN REP]

hatin ass nigga

I mean it is what it is y'all got your titles

East was ass and Pooh let his teammates down

But you beat the teams in front of you

I think, in terms of impact, a free ride to the finals is more significant than battling your way to the finals and facing a team that loses an important (but second-level) player for a couple of games in a tough series.

I agree but anyone who isn't biased will tell you Perkins going down killed the Celtics in that series

 

[Art Vandelay]

The 11 Most Significant Injuries In Modern NBA Playoff History
JUN 21, 2012

Blame it on the lockout-shortened season, blame on the shoe apparel companies, but there have been a ton of impactful injuries in this years NBA playoffs. Chris Bosh may not be scoring at his usual pace but his rebounding and defense have been huge in these NBA finals, and I am not sure the Heat would be up 3-1 in the series as I write this, if he didn’t come back from injury.

But truth be told, a lot of it just boils down to luck. Some injuries you just know are season ending, like when Baron Davis’s inner knee ligaments exploded like he stepped on a land mine in Afghanistan. Then there are others that look as bad and the player gets up and shakes it off.

It takes a talent, chemistry, and coaching, but let’s not act like every champion hasn’t had their share of luck to survive the gauntlet that is the NBA playoffs and finished unscathed as a champion.

History is often not kind to the unlucky teams, but looking at how injuries have helped dictate this year’s playoffs, I thought it was apropos to look back at the most significant injuries in NBA modern playoff history. Oh, what could have been?

Similar to all of the lists, it is so difficult to narrow it down So I narrowed it down to injuries that happened to key players on championship caliber teams.

To be clear, we are talking legit injuries here only. Not the Paul Pierce/Dwyane Wade death defying, wheel chair needing sprained ankles, only to come back and score 35 points type injuries.

To the list:

1. Magic Johnson – 1989

The Lakers, in quest for a 3-peat, were 11-0 in the playoffs, stomping through the Western Conference like Death Row records in the mid 90’s. Unfortunately, while the Pistons were battling it out in the tougher Eastern conference, the Lakers had a week off to prepare for the NBA finals. That gave Pat Riley time for 4 hour practices aimed on keeping his team sharp, but what it really did was overwork his starting backcourt. Byron Scott strained a hamstring in practice and missed the entire finals. The worst was yet to come however.

In a close physical game one, Magic, obviously the Lakers leader, on court coach, and every other cliché you want to use, strained his hamstring, rendering him useless the rest of the series. My Pistons would go on to sweep the short handed Lakers in just 4 games. While it sucked to see a legend like Magic Johnson injured, I had no guilt as a fan because just the year prior….

2. Isiah Thomas – 1988

The Pistons for my early childhood were unwatchable. Not only did they suck they were a wasteland of vagabond players. Dick Vitale was their coach for a hot second and no one I knew really went to the games. In 1981 that all changed. They drafted a 6 ft NCAA Champion with a crooked Afro and baby face smile. On the court he was all killer though. The franchise changed forever from the inside out.

In 1988 the Pistons had finally rid themselves of the Boston Celtics and made their first finals appearance. The Lakers were the heavy favorite but the Pistons didn’t care, stealing game 1 at the Forum. The series would go back and forth with the Pistons up in the series 3-2 as the teams returned to LA for game 6. Isiah had arguably the greatest quarter in NBA finals history, scoring 25 points on one foot in route to a 2 point loss.

Pat Riley, rightfully so I might add, refused to let the Pistons use the Lakers facility to help Isiah heal his severely sprained ankle. The Raiders, who were in Los Angeles at the time, let the Pistons training staff ice and elevate Thomas’s ankle at their facility in downtown LA. Unfortunately it didn’t matter, Zeke was rendered useless in game 7 and the Pistons lost on a horrific phantom call on Kareem that has left me more bitter than Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame speech.

3. Kevin Garnett - 2009

I still think the Celtics would have repeated if he hadn’t completely dislocated his knee cap. KG hasn’t been the same player since. He is still effective because he is such a skilled shooter and plays with an intensity unrivaled by any NBA Player in recent memory. The Celtics would go on to make a playoff run and eventually lose to the Orlando Magic, but the Celtics were the best team in the league that year until KG got hurt. His leadership and ability to draw the opposing team’s big man out of the paint are two qualities Boston simply couldn’t replace.

4. Kendrick Perkins – 2010

With one game between them and another ring, Kendrick – James Evans – Perkins blew his knee out in Staples center in game 6 of the NBA finals. Despite Kobe shooting 6 for 26 from the field, the much beleaguered Ron Artest (before he was Metta World War) saved the day for the Purple and Gold in game 7. But really what won the game for the Lakers was that the Celtics simply could not grab a rebound. Rasheed Wallace, with a joint in his right ear, gave a valiant effort but he was not prepared to play 30 minutes in a game that physical. The Celtics smallish front court eventually wore down as the game went on. Kendrick Perkins, despite the fact he runs like Larry Holmes (and I mean Larry Holmes present day) may have been the difference between a Laker repeat, and Celtic redemption.

5. Derrick Rose – 2012

The league’s reigning MVP had an injury filled season to say the least, but the Chicago Bulls persevered and found a way to lockdown the #1 seed in the east. But unfortunately in the 1st round of this years playoffs vs. the upstart Philadelphia 76ers, he made a jump stop move he has made a million times before but this time was different. Even all of us internet doctors knew that not only was his season over, but so were the Bulls chances at a championship.

6. Dwight Howard – 2012

The 2012 Orlando Magic were not going to win a championship if Howard was healthy or not. But the impact they could have given the Heat a similar series that the Celtics did. The Heat obviously have no center, and they struggle to stop point guards. Well, Orlando does have the best center in basketball and a shot first point guard in Jameer Nelson. Relax people, I am not saying Orlando would have beaten Miami, I am saying they may have extended them as long as the Celtics did.
A healthy Dwight Howard may not have gotten Orlando to the NBA finals, but he definitely would have had an effect on which team from the Eastern conference did.

7. Joe Johnson – 2005

Long before he was the grossly overpaid shooting guard for the Atlanta Hawks, Johnson played along side Steve Nash in the Phoenix Suns frenetic run and gun system. They finished the year with the most wins in the league, and were poised to make a run at the title. But in their series against Dallas, Joe Johnson injured his eye, and was forced to miss substantial time. They were still able to get past Dallas, but Johnson missed the first two games of the next series, versus San Antonio, and the Suns never recovered.

People forget how close that series was. Had Johnson been healthy, there is a real chance that the Suns might have unseated the eventual champs.

8. Patrick Ewing – 1999

It’s hard to call Ewing’s Achilles tendon injury back in 1999 devastating, since after Ewing finally dropped out of the postseason after Game 2 of the Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the #8-seed Knicks made their way to the Finals anyway. They lost to the Spurs 4-1. Ironically, they might not have reached the NBA finals had Ewing been healthy. But once they got there they sorely missed him vs. the twin towers of David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Marcus Camby played admirably but he is more of a weak side off the ball shot blocker, and he proved to be no match for Robinson down low, leaving a bulging disc, bearded Larry Johnson attempting to guard Duncan. As you can imagine, that didn’t work out too well.

9. James Worthy - 1983

This one doesn’t technically count because Worthy broke his leg with about two weeks left to go in his rookie season, but that injury did affect L.A.’s ability to repeat as NBA champions in ’83. That was Philly’s famous Fo-Fo-Fo championship year, and a big reason they won the title is because L.A. was too thin up front. That might not have been the case had Worthy still been playing.

10. Dirk Nowitski – 2003

I was happy to see Dirk Nowitzki win his first championship a year ago; it’s because a sprained knee possibly kept him from winning one in the 2003 postseason, which could very well have been the most impressive individual stretch of his career. I have always loved the simplicity of Dirk’s game. He relies on a great shooting stroke and precision like footwork. He’s a chess player with a hell of a one foot fade away jumper.

He started the playoffs that year with a 46-point outburst in Game 1 of Round 1, and then in the second round he pushed the Mavericks to a win in Game 7 over the Kings with a monster 30-point, 19-rebound game. In the very next game, the first of the Conference Finals against the Spurs, he dropped 38 and 19 in San Antonio, but by the end of Game 3 Dirk had a sprained knee that would keep him out of the rest of the series. The Spurs went on to beat the Nets in the Finals, while Dirk had to wait eight more years before finally getting that ring.

11. Yao Ming – 2009

It’s hard to believe that only a few short years ago, Yao Ming was one of the best centers in basketball. Yes he was always a step slow on defense, but offensively he was very skilled with his back to the basket or facing up. One of the things that really hurt Yao was the lack of big men for him to play against. There were times the game was simply too fast for him. Opposing teams would involve him in high pick and rolls on defense and he couldn’t effectively guard offensive players in space. It surely wasn’t for a lack of effort, but when you are 7’7 and have a head the size of a small planet, sliding your feet vs. a point guard is simply going to be a struggle.

Back in 2009, the Rockets were primed for a playoff run when their star broke his foot. Yao really was never the same after this injury, and the Rockets were bounced out of the playoffs by the eventual champion Lakers.

 

[SmoothD]

I call BS on James Worthy on that 83 Lakers team.
Nobody was stopping Moses Malone and Philly that year.
No one

 

[Nobody]

injury is a part of the game.

it's worthless speculating this, or attempting to cheapen a championship team.

 

[Brother Blues]

Yeah the Fakers....the year Perkins got hurt

 

[TimRock]

Yeah the Fakers....the year Perkins got hurt

cause he was such a dominating force. Boston had the lead most of game 7. He would have prevented the come back? And game 6, yeah, cause he was a scoring machine. He surely would have prevented that 22 point blow out.

if anything, the lakers v. minnesota when Sam Cassel got hurt would have been a better example.

 

[God Dammit]

'96, '97, & '98 Bulls - Penny Hardaway

 

[D-TOWN REP]

'96, '97, & '98 Bulls - Penny Hardaway

Great point

The fact they didn't have to deal with Shaq(went to Lakers) and 100% Penny all those years did help

 

[crazyace718]

Miami Lost Bosh until most of the playoffs and he did not come back until game 7 of Boston in the eastern conference finals in 2012

Miami Heat beat the stacked Bulls team with MVP Rose 5-1

Miami also beat the better OKC team who had Harden, Westbrook and Durant 5-1

Exactly

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[Brother Blues]

cause he was such a dominating force. Boston had the lead most of game 7. He would have prevented the come back? And game 6, yeah, cause he was a scoring machine. He surely would have prevented that 22 point blow out.

if anything, the lakers v. minnesota when Sam Cassel got hurt would have been a better example.

He was!!....on defense and rebounding.

Which was what killed the Celtics in game 7....Rasheed had to play most of the game,and he tired.

 

[Art Vandelay]

injury is a part of the game.

it's worthless speculating this, or attempting to cheapen a championship team.

It's valuable because championships are overrated in general the way they're used to define players. LeBron didn't become a better player when Rose got hurt but the benefits reaped from that bolster his rep in a ridiculous way. Patrick Ewing was the best player on teams that made the Finals twice but his entire career is defined by not winning a championship his team could have won had he not been injured in 1999? But Tim Duncan is a GOAT based largely on five titles, three of which (at least) were won with a lot of luck?

Bullshit.

Context is important. You can't just remember titles and ignore the circumstances behind them. Scoreboard don't lie but it don't tell the whole story, either.

 

[Art Vandelay]

'96, '97, & '98 Bulls - Penny Hardaway

Great point

The fact they didn't have to deal with Shaq(went to Lakers) and 100% Penny all those years did help

Yep... Let's not forget David Stern's meddling in 1997, either, suspending players who were on the bench but put one foot on the court during in-game confrontations.

Miami won Game 5 96–81, which was highlighted by a brawl that started when P.J. Brown objected to Charlie Ward's attempt to gain position for a rebound. Brown flipped Ward over his head and body-slammed him, and a melee ensued. The Knicks and their fans speculated that Riley told Brown to start a brawl in the hopes that Knicks players would get suspended, since the series was unwinnable against a full-strength Knicks team that many considered prime to dethrone Chicago. This is up for debate, since many observers questioned why Ward dived toward Brown's legs with the game out of reach in the first place (Also worth noting is the fact that Brown's much taller than Ward). During the brawl, Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, Larry Johnson and John Starks left the bench; the league punished them for this by handing out 1-game suspensions spread out over the series' final 2 games. Ewing, Houston and Ward were suspended for Game 6; Johnson and Starks were suspended for Game 7. Shorthanded by the suspensions, the Knicks lost Games 6 and 7 95–90 and 101–90 respectively. The Heat advanced to face the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, which they lost in 5.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat–Knicks_rivalry

 

[DirtyCake]

On Life Without Durant for the Oklahoma City Thunder

This team could have a title by now had Westbrook and Ibaka not suffered ill-timed injuries during the 2013 and 2014 playoffs...

The Warriors, by the way, are a big winner here (after the 2015 Durant injury). It sounds crass, but that’s reality in the NBA. Almost every champion needs a bit of injury and matchup-related luck along the way, and injuries large and small have affected almost every playoff season. Don’t listen to any asterisk talk, ever. Look at league history and you’ll find that an injury tilted the championship odds at some point damn near every May or June.​

Some big examples, off the top of my head...

2012 & 2013 Miami Heat- Derrick Rose; Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka; Dwight Howard

2010 Lakers- Kendrick Perkins

2009 Lakers- Yao Ming; Kevin Garnett

2008 Celtics- Andrew Bynum

2005 Spurs- Joe Johnson

2004 Pistons- Karl Malone

2003 Spurs- Dirk Nowitzki

1999 Spurs- Patrick Ewing

did you watch the 2004 finals you bitch ass nigga? malone was like 90 years old.... that aint the reason they won fuck boy

 

[Art Vandelay]

did you watch the 2004 finals you bitch ass nigga? malone was like 90 years old.... that aint the reason they won fuck boy

Don't get your Piston panties in a bunch... I just listed it as an example of an injury making a difference, which it certainly did. Detroit doesn't win in 5 if that doesn't happen and nobody knows if they could have closed out a 3-2 series with L.A. at full strength. (Doubtful.)

No champion since 1984 has failed to validate their championship more than that lucky ass 2004 Piston team so shut up and be happy turmoil and injury handed you one.

 

[ankhheru]

Miami dealt with injury issues in their last 3 playoff runs.....but dudes conveniently forget that shit


and I suppose this is where bgol conveniently elevates derrick rose to demigod status where he was going to lead the bulls to their next 6 championships

Goat!!!!!!!

 

[Chitownheadbusa]

Miami Heat beat the stacked Bulls team with MVP Rose 5-1

The Bulls didnt have a "stacked team" until after D Rose got injured. You cant call a team with one super star & a bunch of players tryna find their lane a "stacked team".

Thats why I said D ROse deserved that MVP award that year. Those 60+ wins was because of him mostly.

Btw...I think that Bulls team that we had when Rose blew his acl couldve knocked out Miami. With Rip, Korver, Osik, Deng, Noah, Taj, Jimmy, Boozer, Brewer, Watson etc, etc.

 

[God Dammit]

Don't get your Piston panties in a bunch... I just listed it as an example of an injury making a difference, which it certainly did. Detroit doesn't win in 5 if that doesn't happen and nobody knows if they could have closed out a 3-2 series with L.A. at full strength. (Doubtful.)

No champion since 1984 has failed to validate their championship more than that lucky ass 2004 Piston team so shut up and be happy turmoil and injury handed you one.

You sound delusional. That '04 Pistons team were fucking defensive beast!

 

[Amajorfucup]

Houston Rockets. Both titles.

When the mob injured poppa Jordan to death for MJ refusing to point shave as payment for outstanding gambling debts and David Stern forced him to sit out a season plus to re-evaluate some things.

 

[Art Vandelay]

You sound delusional. That '04 Pistons team were fucking defensive beast!

More like a sheep in beast's (or champion's) clothing.

For real, many beasts don't win championships.

In 30 years, aside from the injury-plagued Celtics who lost to the Lakers in 7, what other "champion" never won another title?

 

[IT IS WHAT IT IS]

The 1980 LA Lakers... If Kareem hadn't gotten hurt, my Sixers might have won that series. They were adjusting to playing against Kareem, but had no clue Magic was THAT versatile and had no idea how to play him...

 

[Maxxam]

The 1980 LA Lakers... If Kareem hadn't gotten hurt, my Sixers might have won that series. They were adjusting to playing against Kareem, but had no clue Magic was THAT versatile and had no idea how to play him...

Greatest finals performance of all time. Rookie schooled everybody.

 

[shaddyvillethug]

hatin ass nigga

He still salty from Wade 40 points(s) in '06

And u shut the fuck up

Pooh had U niggas on lock in 201

 

[shaddyvillethug]

Miami dealt with injury issues in their last 3 playoff runs.....but dudes conveniently forget that shit


and I suppose this is where bgol conveniently elevates derrick rose to demigod status where he was going to lead the bulls to their next 6 championships

2012 was going to be #7

No if ands or buts

 

[shaddyvillethug]

Great point

The fact they didn't have to deal with Shaq(went to Lakers) and 100% Penny all those years did help

Nigga please

The Knicks was better than them

 

[shaddyvillethug]

Houston Rockets. Both titles.

When the mob injured poppa Jordan to death for MJ refusing to point shave as payment for outstanding gambling debts and David Stern forced him to sit out a season plus to re-evaluate some things.

Stfu

He went to play baseball

To fill out his fathers dream

Barons >>>>

Fucka deon slim time sanders

 

[Spectrum]

89 pistons when Magic and B. Scott pulled hamstrings, preventing a possible three peat.

the same could be said for the 88 lakers when zeke got hurt

he was busting their ass until the injury and that terrible foul call in game 6 or 7