Larry Bird
Affectionately known as “the hick from French Lick,” Larry Bird led the Boston Celtics to three NBA Championships during the 1980’s, and remains one of only eight players in the history of the league to win three Most Valuable Player awards. But after the 1988 season, which many consider to be Bird’s best year, his body broke down rapidly as a result of back problems that compounded over the years, robbing him of at least a couple of seasons in his prime.
After enduring agonizing pain through the late 80’s and 90’s, Bird laced up his sneakers one more time as a member of the U.S. Men’s Basketball Team for the 1992 Summer Olympics — better known as the legendary Dream Team — and retiring for good, shortly after winning the gold medal in said Olympics.