"Penny Hardaway, Derrick Rose, T-Mac" - Gilbert Arenas had unique picks for his Mt. Rushmore of injured players
Having suffered career-altering injuries, Gilbert Arenas knows the pain of not being able to maximize his basketball talents. But when he was asked about his Mt. Rushmore of injured NBA players, Agent Zero omitted himself, paying respect to Penny Hardaway, Derrick Rose, and Tracy McGrady.
"My Mt. Rushmore, I'm gonna go - Penny Hardaway, Derrick Rose, T-Mac," Arenas said. "Listen, it's hard but… oh! Amar'e Stoudemire? 'Cause he did get hurt in the middle. I say Bill Walton. Imma go with Bill Walton! And then honorable mention - Imma say, Brandon Roy."
Is Arenas' list valid?
Penny's speed and athleticism caused havoc in the league, especially during his time alongside Shaquille O'Neal. The 6'7" guard's playing style was a perfect compliment to Diesel's, with the two even leading the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals in 1995.
In his first five seasons, Penny averaged 19.1 points per game. However, after injuring his knee in the 1997-98 campaign, things went downhill. After that, he never regained his All-Star status. Despite attempts by other franchises to revitalize his career, including stints with the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns, he couldn't recapture his explosiveness due to persistent injury woes.
The same was the case for Rose, who took the league by storm after taking his first step. From winning the ROY award in 2009 to being named an All-Star in his sophomore year to being the league's youngest-ever MVP in just his third year, the 6'3" point guard seemed to have the basketball world at his feet.
However, in Game 1 of the Chicago Bulls' first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2012 playoffs, D-Rose tore his ACL.
After that setback, Rose never quite reached the same heights, but he occasionally displayed glimpses of his former brilliance.
T-Mac will be remembered as one of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history. Despite a slow start to his career, it took him a couple of seasons to find his footing. However, once he joined the Orlando Magic, McGrady seemed unstoppable, earning seven All-NBA team selections in eight years. During this period, he led the league in scoring twice.
Some believe that if it weren't for his persistent ankle, shoulder, elbow, back, shoulder, and, most importantly, knee injuries, McGrady could have gone down as the purest scorer in the league's history.
A lot of candidates
Last on Gil's list was Bill Walton, who entered the league as a two-time Player of the Year and had such a flair about him that the ABA offered him his own franchise to lure him. However, after the 'Big Red' stepped foot into the NBA, he famously led the Portland Trail Blazers to their first-ever championship in 1977 after beating Julius Erving-led Philadelphia 76ers. He continued his stellar run in the next campaign, being named the regular-season MVP in '78.
From that point on, the 6'11" center saw things go haywire until he joined the Boston Celtics. From the '78-79 to the '83-84 season, Walton only appeared in 102 regular-season games, having missed three complete seasons, all in his prime years.
Recognizing that the two-time All-Star was named the Sixth Man of the Year at the age of 33 in 1986, one can only imagine how dominant he would have been had he played in his prime years.
While some may argue for the inclusion of other players like Grant Hill, Ralph Sampson, Maurice Stokes, and Arvydas Sabonis, who also saw their careers derailed by injuries, there's no denying that Arenas' candidates are among the most valid contenders for Mt. Rushmore of such players.
Did Brandon Roy deserve a special mention?
B-Roy might not be the first name that pops into your head when you discuss elite players who struggled with injuries since he was never on a large-market team and spent five of his six seasons in the NBA in Portland.
However, when you consider that he was named the ROTY in 2007, then named an All-Star in just his sophomore year, and was already among the top 10 MVP frontrunners in just his third year, earning his first All-NBA Team nod, one could fully grasp the gravity of the legend of Brandon Roy.
If it wasn't for arthroscopic surgery and the platelet-rich plasma procedure, the 6'6" shooting guard wouldn't have just bid farewell to the league in six years but could have earned more than three All-Star nods.
Considering the career trajectory of all these names, Areans was spot on with his Mt. Rushmore picks.
