Characterization of Rookie Season Injury and Illness and Career Longevity Among National Basketball Association Players

Importance There is limited research investigating injury and illness among professional basketball players during their rookie season. By improving the understanding of injury incidence and risk specific to rookie players, sports medicine clinicians may be able to further individualize injury mitigation programs that address the unique needs of rookie players. Objective To compare incidence and rate ratio (RR) of injury and illness among professional National Basketball Association (NBA) players in their rookie season with veteran players and to explore the association of sustaining an injury rookie season with career longevity. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study used an online data repository and extracted publicly available data about NBA players between the 2007 and 2008 season to the 2018 and 2019 season. Available data for initial injury and all subsequent injuries were extracted during this time frame. Exposures Injury and illness based on injury status during the rookie season of professional NBA players. Main Outcomes and Measures Injury and illness incidence and RR. Association of injury during the rookie season with career longevity was assessed via Poisson regressions. Results Of the 12 basketball seasons analyzed, 904 NBA players were included (mean [SD] age, 24.6 [3.9] years; body mass index, 24.8 [1.8]). The injury and illness incidence for rookie players was 14.28 per 1000 athlete game exposures (AGEs). Among all body regions, ankle injuries had the greatest injury incidence among players injured during their rookie season (3.17 [95% CI, 3.15-3.19] per 1000 AGEs). Rookie athletes demonstrated higher RR compared with veterans across multiple regions of the body (ankle: 1.32; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.52; foot/toe: 1.29; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.61; shoulder/arm/elbow: 1.43; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.77; head/neck: 1.21; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.81; concussions: 2.39; 95% CI, 1.89 to 2.90; illness: 1.14; 95% CI, 0.87 to 1.40), and demonstrated a higher rate of initial injuries compared with veteran players (1.41; 95% CI, 1.29 to 1.53). Players who sustained an injury rookie season demonstrated an unadjusted decrease in total seasons played (-0.4 [95% CI, -0.5 to -0.3] log years; P < .001), but this decrease was not observed within adjusted analysis (0.1 [95% CI, -0.1 to 0.2] log years; P = .36). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, rookie athletes demonstrated the highest injury incidence at the ankle and increased RR across multiple regions. These findings may reflect differences in preseason conditioning or load variables impacting rookie athletes and warrant further investigation. Future research is needed to determine the association of cumulative injury burden vs a singular injury event on career longevity. This cohort study compares the incidence and rate ratio of injury and illness among rookie professional basketball players with veteran players and explores the association of sustaining an injury rookie season with career longevity. Question What is the rate ratio (RR) of injury and illness among rookie and veteran professional basketball players, and is sustaining an injury during the rookie season associated with career longevity? Findings In this cohort study of 904 professional basketball players, rookies demonstrated higher RRs of injury across multiple categories. Those who sustained an injury during their rookie season did not demonstrate a significant difference in total seasons played. Meaning In this study, rookie athletes demonstrated unique RR profiles compared with veterans, but singular injury occurrence during rookie season was not associated with career longevity; these findings suggest a need to investigate cumulative injury burden and the association with career longevity.