Such was the case in the 2003-04 NBA season when then-Milwaukee Bucks point guard and rookie T.J. Ford landed hard on his tail bone, suffering a serious injury that ultimately required spinal fusion surgery.
Now Ford is 28-years-old and retiring. Despite being touted as a prolific prospect, Ford was only able to live up to the lofty expectations for a few seasons in Toronto and Indiana.
Eventually his injury hindered his performance, culminating in an elbow to the back from New York Knicks point guard Baron Davis that left Ford motionless on the court.
Despite having only played 14 games with the Spurs under the contract he signed in December 2011, Ford decided the risk was no longer worth it. He announced his retirement from the NBA via twitter on Monday.
See Ford’s tweet below.
It’s official ” I Retire from the NBA ” as of today
— TJ Ford (@tj_ford) March 12, 2012
