10 NBA Players Who Could Follow Yao Ming into Retirement Due to Injury

Injuries have always been on the unfortunate side of sports.

They happen in all sports. Some are minor, and some are serious.

All too often injuries rob great players of playing time, careers, NBA records, and popularity among the fans. They cause individuals to miss out on their life long dreams and force them to re-evaluate their lives.

Many injuries also cause franchises to miss out on that once in a lifetime player that could change the fortunes of certain teams, deny them the opportunities to win championships, and make millions of dollars.

How many times have we seen teams go from championship contenders to lottery teams with the twist of an ankle, the pop of a knee, or some other untimely injury?

Now that Houston Rockets center Yao Ming has announced that he will retire due to serious and long lasting injury problems there may be other players who will have to hang up the gym shoes and call it a career due to injury.

Some of the players in the following slides have had long careers, and some were missed the chance to even get started.

While it may not be this season, these players may have to leave the league in the next several years because their bodies will not allow them to play any more.

If there are any that you would add to the list, please let me know.

Mehmet Okur: Utah Jazz

After finding a home in Utah and working his way from role player to being an NBA All-Star, Mehmet Okur has battled achilles and back injuries for the last couple of seasons.

He tried to make a comeback and appeared in several games for the Jazz last season, but was just not able to continue.

His injury could not have hit at a worse time, as he is in the last year of a big contract. He does remain part of the plans for the Jazz, but it is believed that he will become part of a trade deadline deal to a team that wants his expiring contract.

At age 32 he may not get much of a chance to play in the future.

Shaun Livingston: Milwaukee Bucks

In his third season after being chosen by the Clippers with the fourth pick in the draft, Livingston suffered the first of his two knee injuries.

The second, and much more severe is well known as one of the most serious on court injuries in NBA history. After falling awkwardly after a lay-up attempt, every part of his knee was destroyed.

After a long period of rehabilitation, Livingston was able to return to the league and has bounced around from team to team. Most recently he was traded from the Bobcats to the Bucks on draft night.

For a player who is lucky to be walking after his injury, it is amazing that he is playing. If he is injured again, he may be done after only a few years in the league, and after so much of his potential being taken from him.

Hopefully he avoids any further injuries.

Greg Oden: Portland Trail Blazers

There is no surprise that Greg Oden makes this list.

He is one who was derailed by an injury before he could really even get started.

After a great one year college career at Ohio State that included him playing in the NCAA Championship Title game, he was drafted with the first pick in the 2007 NBA draft.

Portland liked what they saw in Oden and selected him in front of Kevin Durant, Al Horford, and his college teammate Mike Conley Jr.

Oden suffered the first of several injuries before his rookie season could start and missed that whole season to microfracture surgery. He has had microfracture surgery twice and has yet to make any meaningful, long term contribution on the court.

The one thing that Oden has going for him is that he is young and could still put together a career in the league. Unfortunately, he will likely not regain the potential that made him the top pick in the draft.

Jermaine O'Neal: Boston Celtics

Jermaine O'Neal has been in the league since 1996 when he was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers.

He has missed games for many reasons including the 1999 lockout, a 25 game suspension for his part in the player and fan brawl in Detroit, and most recently due to injury. 

He missed 58 games last season but was able to come back and face the Heat in the 2011 playoffs.

O'Neal has had a long career and has been a six time NBA All-Star. He has played for and helped several teams, but is now coming to the end of his career.

If it is not another injury that forces him out, it may be because he does not want to return to the league after the lockout ends.

After 14 years, and at 32 years of age, his time left in the league could be short. He may hang on for a few more seasons if he can stay healthy.

Caron Butler: Dallas Mavericks

Caron Butler is one of those good players in the league that can't seem to catch a break. After being drafted 10th overall by the Heat in 2002, he has been traded three times, and battled injuries on several occasions.

His first injury was a broken hand that kept him out of the playoffs in 2007, his best overall season.

He has also dealt with a hip injury and is coming off of knee surgery that sidelined him for much of last season, and for the Mavericks championship run.

Due to injuries, he has not played in more than 47 games in any of the last three seasons.

Depending on how well he can recover from his latest injury, he may not have many years left in the league. Unfortunately injuries have shaped his career over the last few years.

Michael Redd: Milwaukee Bucks

Michael Redd has been one of the best scorers and biggest surprise players in the NBA since he came into the league.

Before his injuries, he was the face of the Bucks franchise, and with center Andrew Bogut, was building a strong team in Milwaukee.

After suffering his multiple MCL and ACL tears, and a patella tendon injury, his career could very well be finished.

This is unfortunate for any player but especially for Redd who worked so hard to overcome so much to get where he was in his prime.

Had he not suffered these setbacks, he would be a perrenial All-Star and the Bucks would be in a much better position. Hopefully he can return to playing basketball at some point and end his career on the court rather than on the sideline.

Brandon Roy: Portland Trail Blazers

Over the years, Portland has had no luck with injuries to their star players. From Sam Bowie, to Greg Oden, they seem to be plagued with players who have careers altered by injury.

Unfortunately Brandon Roy and his injuries have not changed this for the Trailblazers.

Roy fought through an ankle injury in his rookie season to become the Rookie of the Year, and has dealt with surgery to remove cartilage in his knee.

In 2010 he underwent surgery for a bone contusion and a partial tear in his meniscus. He missed only a short time after surgery, but has struggled to regain the form and production he gave before his injury.

Roy was limited to only 47 games last season.

After signing a max contract a few season ago, it is likely that he will stay with the Trailblazers for the next several years.

Kobe Bryant: Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant gets beat up during every game that he plays. Due to his scoring ability, he is defensive focus on every team, and draws a lot of fouls every night.

While he is not currently working through a serious injury and has been able to play through them for most of his career, he does have a few nagging problems with his finger and his knees.

The reason that Bryant makes this list is simple. Due to his competitive nature, an injury may be the only thing that will get him to retire and leave basketball behind.

After 15 seasons in the league, he has not shown any big signs of slowing down. If the NBA has a shortened season next year due to the lockout, Bryant could be very dominate playing fewer games to get to the playoffs.

Peja Stojakovic: Dallas Mavericks

Peja Stojakovic has had a long and successful career in the NBA.

As part of the Mavericks he became one more player to win his first title this season. While injuries limited him during the season, he was able to appear in 19 of the Mavericks playoff games.

Stojakovic has played for several teams, has been an NBA All-Star three times and has won the long distance shootout twice.

His best season came in 2003-04 when he averaged 24.2 points per game for the Kings.

At age 34 and after the back problems that he has had, coming back after the lockout ends may not sound like such a great idea for Peja. As a free agent, he may choose to call it quits and enjoy being an NBA champion.

David West: New Orleans Hornets

This one may be a bit of a stretch, but with the severity of David West's knee injury, this could be the one that makes a big difference in his career.

While it is possible for him to return, how many times have we seen this type of setback derail a career?

West seems optimistic about his return and his basketball future, as he opted out of his contract with the Hornets that would pay him $7.5 million. Following the lockout, he will become a free agent, but has not ruled out a return to New Orleans.

Hopefully for West, this major injury is not the start of a long history, and he will again be an NBA All-Star.