There’s no need to be thespian about this: Injuries suck. Athletes put in countless hours to reach the pinnacle of their craft just for their progress to be reset when they rehabilitate from painful and oftentimes debilitating ailments. NBA championship aspirations turn to dust and fans miss out on seeing their favorite players.
All credit goes to these players. It doesn’t matter what kind of resources are available to them—season-ending injuries of any kind can be traumatic. As these return to the court, expectations should be tempered and fans must give the benefit of the doubt where it’s due. Their mere presence on the court is worth being celebrated.
On the other side of the tunnel is the long-awaited return from injury, which is oftentimes quite ugly in and of itself. Going from months in the gym to the highest competition level in the world is no easy transition, but over recent years, the time it takes to ramp-up has improved considerably through advancements in sports science and conditioning.
Some of the greatest talent in the NBA is returning this season
Dozens of players are returning from injury, but five of them in particular are coming back from long-term absences to fill the role of a star or something adjacent to it. Past, present and future All-Stars alike, all of them share one thing in common: The team they are returning to is not the same as when they last played. Without order, these are the five most exceptional NBA players returning from a serious injury at the start of the 2022-23 season.