"I'm going to be the first player ever to play in an ASG without an ACL" - When Bernard King shocked the world and came back from a huge injury

Bernard King, one of the NBA’s scoring greats, suffered a gruesome injury at the height of his powers. In a game against the Kansas City Kings in March 1985, the New York Knicks star tore his ACL/meniscus and suffered a lateral condyle fracture of the femur.

King had been averaging over 30 points per game at that point, as many felt the injury would put an abrupt end to his thriving basketball career.

New beginnings for King

Bernard came back in the 1986-87 season, but King didn’t have the same explosiveness he once had. The Knicks released him at the end of the year, and King found himself donning the Washington Bullets jersey along with fellow stars Moses Malone and Jeff Malone. Slowly and surely, the 6’7’’ forward worked hard to get back in tiptop shape.

In his second year with the Bullets, Bernard averaged 20.7 points — the first time since his Knicks stint that he averaged over 20 points. He showed unprecedented improvement as he played more.

By the 1990-91 season, his fourth year in Washington, King averaged 28.4 points per game. He hushed his critics by making the 199 All-Star Team.

”It's a tremendous feeling,”said King in 1991, via the Chicago Tribune. ”I used to say I'm going to be the first player ever to play in an All-Star Game without an anterior cruciate ligament, and now I'm going to start. It's a special moment.”

”I always believed there was more for me, more to be accomplished in the game,” he added. ”If that was it, I could have dealt with it because I always played as hard as I could. But I felt I'd spent 15 years trying to get to the NBA, so I thought I could spend a few years getting back.”

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Never lost hope

King felt that no one had returned from such a devastating injury and continued to play at a high level; therefore, he made that his ultimate goal. Bernard felt that the fact that he made it to the NBA, which was a grueling task in itself, he could overcome anything — even one of the most detrimental injuries.

“I knew I would get back,” King said. “It's something you either face and deal with or give up on your career. It was a matter of having the will, heart, and mind. I've had an ability to deal with the things that come along in life. It's a question of belief, of confidence and belief in yourself. And that's something I always had.”

In a great turn of events, King started for the Eastern All-Stars in place of the injured Isiah Thomas and Larry Bird. He shared the floor with Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan, who regarded him as one of his influences. Bernard coasted in the All-Star contest and scored a cool eight points and dished out three assists.

By the 1992–93 season, King suffered more debilitating injuries and had to retire. Still, Bernard has one of the greatest comeback stories in the NBA's history. He is a legend in every sense of the word.

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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.