Bernard King – New York Knicks
At the peak of King’s career, he suffered a disastrous injury to his right leg when he planted it under the hoop during an attempt to block a dunk by Kansas City King Reggie Theus. He ended up with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, torn knee cartilage, and broken leg bone, all of which required major reconstruction, this forcing King to miss all of the 1985–86 season. This kind of injury is the kind that no NBA player has ever returned to form after such a career-ending injury, surgery, and the loss of time. While he did come back, he never got that pre-injury explosiveness back again and he retired in 1993.
Bernard King New York Knicks
Stone Johnson – Kansas City Chiefs
Stone Johnson would fracture his neck during a preseason game against the Houston Oilers, resulting in his immediate transfer to the hospital as he lay unresponsive. Doctors confirmed that he was paralyzed from the neck down and just eight days later, Johnson passed away.
Stone Johnson – Kansas City Chiefs
