Undrafted. Sleeping on his brother's couch. Then 7 straight wins, 25 PPG, and global fame in 3 weeks. Linsanity was the most exciting thing in basketball. Then he tore his meniscus. The magic never fully returned.
Averaged 20-5-5 as a rookie. Only LeBron, Jordan, and Oscar Robertson had done that. Won Rookie of the Year. Never came close to those numbers again. A career defined by one incredible season.
Grandmama. 22 PPG as a sophomore. All-Star. Then back injuries hit. Went from athletic freak to role player. The L.J. of 1993 was unstoppable; the L.J. of 1998 was a different player.
20 PPG for the Raptors as a journeyman guard. Nobody saw it coming. Nobody saw it again. Played in Europe the following year. The most random 20 PPG season in NBA history.
100 points in a high school game. 13.4 PPG as an NBA rookie. Then ulcerative colitis nearly killed him. Had his colon removed. Tried to come back. Couldn't. His son, DJ Wagner, carries the legacy.