[In Retrospect] Which event in the past 20 years has set its respective team back the most?

Jordan's retirement? Grant Hill's injury with the Magic?

 

James Dolan taking over the Knicks.

You can close the thread now.

 

Easy...

Changing uniforms from kethcup and mustard to pajamas...

 

Thanks for joining Clutchfans, Mr. Milicic, we hope you enjoy your stay.

 

How can anyone say LeBron?

He's back 4 years later and they've had 3 first overall picks in the meantime.

 

That team was really really good. I still watch the video with excitement but that could of been a championship team.

Another team I always think about are the mid 90's Sonics. I suppose it's the Rockets fault for eliminating them in 97', Kemp breaking down, and whatever else happened to them but the 96' squad should get more love.

 

Uhh Yao Ming suffering career-ending injuries? Wow, made it to page 2. Hilarious.

 

Kevin Garnett would say the Joe Smith/MIN scandal

Also, one could say Steve Francis' refusal to play for Vancouver was the final blow to that city.

 

Shaq leaving ORL

 

Kelvin Cato's contract

 

cant be Shaq to LA - while that helped LA the most - Orlando stunk, got Howard and was back in the finals 14 years later...houston still waiting

 

Ralph Sampson's injury. Dream and Sampson playing together immediately made the Rockets title contenders. If they could have stayed together and stayed healthy for a decade or more, they would have become one of the most legendary duos in NBA history.

 

Winner.

Knicks are garbage and still no end in sight.

A bad draft pick really isn't that bad if the teams just gets another high draft pick the next year.

 

definitely, that team was stacked as hell that season with pretty much everyone in their primes

 

I guess you don't remember ORL got Tracy McGrady in free agency. You make it sound like they went straight from Shaq to tanking to get Howard. Losing Shaq and getting Howard were in no way associated with each other.

ORL didn't stink. They went from a true contender to treading water as a mediocre team for 8 yrs before TMac quit on them, then they tanked for one year and lucked out with the top pick at the right time for Howard.

Got to remember...getting the #1 pick, even with the worst record, is still luck.

 

Quitten set us back at least 15 years and cost us a championship.

 

Interesting question. So many what-could-have-been's.

The Pistons' decision to pass on Carmelo Anthony stands out, because adding Anthony to that championship-caliber defense would've almost guaranteed one or two more rings for Detroit.

The other moves mentioned may have set back their respective teams, but none were as close as Detroit to winning multiple championships.

 

I've always wondered what if we didn't trade for Francis. I think the Pippen signing/quittin and the trade for Francis did set us back many years.

 

99ers no read good