Milwaukee Bucks: Worst injuries in franchise history
By Ben Sewell
3. Michael Redd – (2008-09)
Injury – Left ACL & MCL Rupture
Current Bucks fans are no strangers to ACL injuries, given the current Jabari Parker conundrum. Unfortunately this is not the first time a potential franchise player’s career has been torn down due to injury.
Back in the previous decade, Michael Redd was the undoubted leader of a rather poor Milwaukee Bucks side. Between 2003 and 2009, the Bucks played at a 0.404 record with little to no postseason play to speak of. In these six seasons, Redd finished first in total win shares and points scored on five occasions. In the sixth season (2008-09) however, Redd tore his ACL and MCL in an injury which effectively destroyed his NBA career.
He was ruled out for the rest of that season, only to come back the following year and tear the exact same ligaments, almost one year to the date. This was a devastating blow to both Redd and Milwaukee, who had rallied around the talented shooting guard for over half a decade. After Milwaukee’s “Big Three” of Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell had moved on, Redd was the one shining light that kept the franchise afloat.
The injury also greatly affected Redd’s confidence. In an interview after his second knee injury, he stated:
"“I’m shaken. You never expect it to happen and it happened again…I cried. I had worked so hard to get back to where I was. It hurts.”"
Redd would go on to play only two more seasons in the NBA, but most would agree that he never again came close to his elite level of play from the mid-00s. His statistics back this up also, with Redd unable to average more than 12 points a season following his first knee injury, after averaging over 20 points in the previous six seasons.
Redd will go down as one of Milwaukee’s greatest ever players, but one can only imagine what could have been if not for Redd’s initial knee injury.