5 NBA Players who suffered serious medical ailments during their career

#2 Alonzo Mourning

Alonzo Mourning was selected as the second overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Shaquille O'Neal.

He was later traded to the Miami Heat in 1995 and played most of his career with this franchise. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award twice with the Heat in 1999 and 2000. He also made it to the All-NBA First Team in 1999.

Mourning suffered from a life-threatening kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. He underwent a kidney transplant and went on to play several more years in the league. In 2006, Alonzo Mourning won his first NBA championship with the Miami Heat. He was mostly a backup center behind Shaquille O' Neal but still provided valuable contribution to the team. He finally retired from the NBA in 2009.

#1 Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson was drafted as the number one overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 NBA Draft.

Magic Johnson became one of the greatest players to ever play in the game. He was a 6'9'' point guard capable of playing at all five positions. He won the Finals MVP in his rookie season playing at the center position.

He played 13 seasons in the NBA and got selected to 12 All-Star games. He also made it to the All-NBA first and second teams on 10 occasions. Johnson won five rings with the Lakers and was instrumental to their success every time.

In 1991, he was diagnosed with HIV and announced his immediate retirement from basketball. He later came back from retirement and played one more year for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1995-96 season. He averaged an NBA record 11.2 assists per game for his career.