5 NBA players who retired early due to medical conditions

Joel Embiid has been one of the most dominant players in the NBA since he made his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016. Unfortunately, Joel Embiid has played only about half the 76ers' games during his career due to an ever-growing list of injuries. His 2024-25 season is over after the 76ers announced that he will be shut down for the rest of the season due to his lingering left knee issues.

With Joel Embiid missing the rest of the season, a new possibility has come to light for the 76ers: a medical retirement. If Embiid is unable to play at this point in the year next season and he agrees that he can't play anymore, the Philadelphia 76ers can wipe out the remaining years on his contract.

Joel Embiid wouldn't be the first player to be forced into retirement due to injuries, as they have ended promising careers for players throughout the league's history. We put together a list of five players who were forced to retire early because of injury.

5 NBA players who retired early due to medical conditions

1. Pete Maravich

Maravich's knees cost him the rest of his career in 1980 - Source: Imagn

"Pistol" Pete Maravich has gone down as one of the more under-appreciated players in league history, largely due to when he played. However, the Hall of Famer put together a stellar career, averaging more than 19 points per game for the first nine years he played in the league.

Unfortunately, surgeries and tendinitis in his knees ailed the back half of his career and in 1980, Maravich got to the point where his injuries were too much for him. He retired after that season, according to the NBA, a disappointing end to a Hall of Fame career.

2. Penny Hardaway

Since retiring from the NBA, Hardaway has found a new job as the head coach of the Memphis Tigers. - Source: Imagn

Penny Hardaway is one of the bigger what-if stories in NBA history, especially as a member of the Orlando Magic along with Shaquille O'Neal. Hardaway was named an All-Star in four of his six years in Orlando and was named to the All-NBA first team in 1995 and 1996. However, knee injuries forced him to retire from the Miami Heat in 2008 after trying to make a return from a season he sat out of in 2007.

"It felt like my left knee got weaker," Hardaway said about why he retired. "... I could never get strong enough. It never got back as strong as the right. I just knew I wasn't the same but after the microfracture surgery, I knew at that point I was just trying to hold on to something that wasn't there."

3. Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh is still beloved in Miami despite blood clots ending his career. - Source: Imagn

Chris Bosh was a member of one of the most memorable Big Three's in NBA history alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami. He was named to the All-Star team in 11 of his 13 years in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat. Bosh was diagnosed with blood clots in February 2015, but tried to play through it for the rest of the season.

Unfortunately for Bosh, he couldn't fully recover, sitting out the entirety of the 2016-2017 season before being released by the Miami Heat in 2018 and announcing his retirement in 2019, according to Sporting News.

4. Bill Walton

Bill Walton was able to pivot into a career as a broadcaster after his NBA journey ended. - Source: Imagn

The late Bill Walton was on his way to what might have been a legendary career with the Portland Trail Blazers. Walton won the MVP award in 1978 after leading the team to the NBA title the previous year. Ankle injuries ended his time in Portland, sending him to the San Diego Clippers, where he played one season before sitting out the next two after re-injuring his ankle.

Walton revived his career as a supporting piece of the Boston Celtics from 1985 to 1987, winning his second championship in 1986. Ankle injuries continued to haunt Walton, who retired in 1988 after missing the entire season, according to the NBA.

5. Yao Ming

Yao Ming was able to get into the Hall of Fame despite ending his career short. - Source: Imagn

In another case similar to Joel Embiid, Yao Ming had a chance to go down as one of the best big men in NBA history. Ming made the All-Star team in all eight of his healthy seasons, being named to an All-NBA Team five times. Unfortunately, Ming dealt with lower leg and feet injuries, including one that kept him off the court for the 2009-2010 season.

Ming was able to make a comeback in 2010, but it was clear that he wasn't the same, struggling to deal with his lower body ailments. Ming retired in 2011, according to ESPN, making him one of the biggest what-ifs the league has ever seen.

Joel Embiid has a chance to make a comeback to the NBA if he undergoes a procedure on his left knee, but if history has told us anything, it's that the odds aren't in his favor. The NBA world hopes that Joel Embiid can make a full recovery, but a medical retirement isn't out of the question.