'I had some demons to deal with' - Bob Hurley was ‘frustrated’ for not being able to justify his potential in the NBA after a tragic car accident

Most players labeled as busts fail due to the pressure of the big stage or persistent injuries. However, Bobby Hurley's story is uniquely breathtaking. After a stellar four-year career at Duke, where he rose to prominence as a collegiate star, Bobby endured a life-threatening car accident. The injuries he sustained were so severe that 99 of the 100 people wouldn't have survived. While the 6-foot guard defied the odds and survived, the tragedy made sure he was so viciously injured that he lost his explosiveness to make a name for himself in the league - a reality that frustrated Hurley always.

Hurley met with a dreadful accident

During his years at Duke, Hurley was one of the nation's most charismatic and eye-catching guards. He progressed from averaging 8.8 points in his freshman year to leading the nation in assists during his junior and senior seasons. Over those two years, he averaged 15.1 points and deservingly earned a Consensus First-Team All-American nod in his senior year. As a result, he was selected No. 7 overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 1993 draft.

However, in his rookie year, things went downhill quickly. On December 12, '93, when he was driving home after a game, Hurley's car collided with Daniel Wielan's station wagon. Not wearing a seatbelt, he was thrown out of his vehicle.

According to an ESPN report, the New Jersey native fractured his left shoulder blade and fibula, tore his ACL in his right knee, broke five ribs, sprained his wrist, and saw his lungs collapse.

Though he managed to return to the court the following season, Bobby was never the same, as evidenced by his averaging 3.8 points per game over five seasons for the Kings. Eventually, he was forced out of the league at the age of 26.

Hurley as 'frustrated'

The Duke superstar was determined to prove his worth on the biggest stage, but the accident robbed him of that chance. Retiring prematurely, he was left to grapple with what could have been.

"I was very frustrated and was not able to retire and leave on my own terms," Bobby said. "When you retire, everything just stops. Everything you've done your whole life. I needed some other life experiences. So I had some demons to deal with just by being able to maybe get away."

As famously said, fortune favors those brave enough to fight through, and Hurley was bound to find success in the basketball world. When he became the coach of the University of Buffalo and the Arizona State Sun Devils, he made a name for himself as one of the brightest coaches who was bold enough to turn underperforming teams into constantly being amongst the best programs in the country.