With college sports becoming more competitive and professional athletes such as LeBron James making over $19 million a year, athletes are being forced to push their limits more than ever before. Unfortunately for some, pushing the limit can lead to injury and there were plenty of those in 2013. So, what made these injuries the top five of the year? Each injury was picked based on severity, the athlete affected and irony.
Here’s the list of top five injuries of 2013:
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1. Kevin Ware (Basketball)
Description: Gruesome
When doctors say “broken bone,” people don’t typically envision a bone sticking out of a leg. Unfortunately for University of Louisville guard Kevin Ware, that was exactly what it meant. On March 31, during one of the final games of the team’s season, Ware jumped to shoot a three point shot and was greeted with an unpleasant surprise on the way down. As Ware’s right leg hit the ground, the bone beneath his knee snapped in half leaving his bone completely exposed. One teammate was so shocked by the injury that he crouched on the floor to shield his eyes. The most amazing part of the injury was Ware’s speedy recovery. On Nov. 6, Ware played in his first game since the injury and scored six points.
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2. Anderson Silva (Ultimate Fighting)
Description: Horrible
Ultimate fighting isn’t the most glamorous sport to begin with. Broken noses, loss of teeth and dislocated limbs are common occurrences for mixed martial arts fighters. Injuries are often caused by opponents, but there are the occasional and very rare moments when a fighter will cause physical harm to themselves. That’s exactly what happened to Anderson Silva during his Dec. 29 match for the UFC middleweight title. In the second round, Silva kicked his opponent Chris Weidman. As soon as Silva’s leg struck his opponent, it immediately snapped, leaving Silva to fall to the ground and for his leg to dangle. Silva snapped his tibia and fibula bones. The injury was so gruesome that even the announcer uttered, “Oh my God.”
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3. Bryce Harper (Baseball)
Description: Strange
Bryce Harper, professional baseball player for the Washington Nationals, got a bit too friendly with the Dodger’s Stadium wall during a game on May 12. Harper, who was in the outfield, ran for the ball and forgot to look in front of him — he ran straight into the blue wall of Dodger Stadium. Upon impact, he fell to the ground where he remained for several minutes. Harper got 11 stitches and suffered from a bruised knee.
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4.) Kobe Bryant (Basketball)
Description: Absurd
Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. This guy endured injury after injury in 2013. On April 12, during game 80 of the Lakers’ season, Kobe hyperextended his knee in the second half of the game. Unfortunately, it didn’t end there. He continued playing and soon found himself hobbling to midcourt, reaching for his right foot after a landing from a jump shot. Once again, it didn’t stop there. Later in the game, as Kobe went to drive for a shot, his right leg gave out beneath him and he fell to the floor, grabbing his achilles tendon. Kobe underwent surgery for his torn achilles tendon and while recovering, he signed a two year contract with the Lakers worth $48.5 million, making him the highest paid NBA player in the league. On Dec. 9, Kobe returned to the court for his first game back since the surgery, but it was short lived after he suffered a fracture of the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee during a game on Dec. 17. Who knew that one person could make so much money being injured?
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5.) Ryan Lochte (Swimming)
Description: Bizarre
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte is the Justin Beiber of swimming. His talent in the water, along with his six pack abs, dirty blonde hair and the grillz in his teeth, leave teenage girls squealing and screaming in his presence. Apparently just seeing Lochte, breathing the same air, or swimming in a pool that he’s peed in isn’t enough. In November, one fan felt the need to run and jump onto Lochte, causing him to topple over and hit his knee on a curb. While the fan was unharmed, Lochte suffered from a torn MCL and an ACL sprain. The lesson for Lochte? BEWARE OF TEENAGE GIRLS (but please don’t lose those abs while recovering).
