5 athletes who returned to the NBA after scary accidents

The NBA might be classified as a non-contact league, but it's a physically demanding competition that sometimes leads to serious injury. Injuries are inevitable when playing at the highest level against some of the best athletes on the planet.

However, some NBA players have also had scary moments due to their health. Here are five players who bounced back from scary injuries or health concerns to resume their careers.

#1 Jeff Green

In 2011, Jeff Green was preparing to participate in a new NBA season, which had been shortened due to a lockout. However, during a routine physical examination, it was discovered that Green had a heart issue, leading him to undergo surgery.

During the recovery, Green was unsure if he would ever return to the NBA. Fortunately, he made a full recovery and played another 11 seasons in the league, winning his first championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.

#2 Caris LeVert

Who knew that when the Brooklyn Nets traded Caris LeVert to the Indiana Pacers as part of a larger deal to send James Harden to Brooklyn, they would be helping to save his life?

During a routine medical following the trade, the Indiana Pacer's medical staff detected renal cell carcinoma of the left kidney - a form of cancer.

“No telling if they would have found it three months later if it would have spread,” LeVert told Sports Illustrated. “It’s beautiful they found it when they did.”

After undergoing treatment and having the tumor removed, LeVert made a full recovery and is now gearing up for his eighth season in the NBA.

#3 Shaun Livingston

During Livingston's third NBA season, the impressive guard suffered a gruesome knee injury - one that changed his style of play for the rest of his career.

During a recent episode of 'All The Smoke,' Livingston revealed the extent of the damage that was done.

"I dislocated my knee, my femur tibia, tore three of four of my ligaments. Tore three out of four of my ligaments in my knee. They basically compared it to a car crash... they was talking about the whole amputation and all that. They threw that around early because of the blood flow."

Livingston missed almost two years of basketball as he recovered from his career-altering injury but went on to play 11 more years in the league, but he was no longer the hot prospect he was once projected to be.

#4 Paul George

While on Team USA duty, Paul George suffered one of the worst leg breaks imaginable. Playing in a Team USA Showcase, George attempted to block a shot before flying into the stanchion, where he suffered the break.

In international basketball, the stanchion is closer to the basketball court than it is in the NBA, which also played a part in the injury. Fortunately, George made a full recovery and has even been named an All-Star on six occasions since then.

#5 Patrick McCaw

When playing against Vince Carter and the Sacramento Kings, McCaw suffered a scary injury when he hit the hardwood with force following a failed dunk attempt that was guarded by Vince Carter.

Almost instantly after his landing, McCaw began writhing in pain and clutching his lower back. The injury turned out to be a lumbar spine contusion, which was incredibly fortunate, given the force with which he hit the floor.

Patrick McCaw made a full recovery and continued his NBA career for another three seasons.