Will The Injury Woes Ever End For Kristaps Porzingis?

Standing at a lanky 7’3”, Kristaps Porzingis’ shelf life was bound to run its course sooner rather than later. His latest meniscus tear has caused many to question his durability, wondering if he can ever stay healthy for a whole season

Jaden

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Original photo via Getty Images

There are a lot of things in this damned world that doesn’t mesh well together: alcohol and good decisions, science and religion, Mexican food and tight jeans and most important of all, slender seven-footers in the NBA withstanding monumental injuries.

Throughout the NBA’s prolonged history, promising big men have had a track record of sustaining career-altering injuries.

Dating all the way back to the late 1970s, superstar Bill Walton fell to the hands of the injury reaper during the halfway point of the 1977–1978 season. The 6’11” (who is actually at least 7’1” tall) center suffered a broken foot and never bounced back to peak performance. Walton was destined to exit the NBA at a young age, as he had been battling serious foot problems before the straw broke the camel’s back.

Kentucky prodigy San Bowie never possessed the luxury of enjoying a full season without the anxiety of a looming injury. At the end of Bowie’s 10-year career, the 7’1” tower built a reputation as a “draft bust”, forever remembered as the guy taken before Michael Jordan.

Fast forward to the 21st century, 7’6” Yao Ming hung up his jersey after nine memorable seasons with the Houston Rockets. He was forced to call it quits as his ankles had deteriorated like spoiled milk that had been sitting in the fridge for the past month. Ming made the most of his time in the NBA, appearing in the All-Star match eight times in eight playing years.

Add on the likes of Ralph Sampson, Brad Daughtery, Gheorghe Muresan, Greg Oden, Arvydas Sabonis and many others to the list of big men who became victims to disheartening injuries.

Today, there isn’t a wide selection of big men who fit the bill as someone whose legacy could be summed up as, “damn, I wish that guy never suffered that one injury”.

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Jaden

Just a guy who likes to write about basketball