North Carolina native Brad Daugherty was expected to make history as one of the NBA’s finest players, considering his record, after the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him in the first round in 1986.
During his association with the Cavaliers, he won several titles, including NBA All-Rookie First Team, First-team Parade All-American, and McDonald’s All-American. Likewise, he achieved a milestone as a player, becoming an NBA All-Star five times.
Unfortunately, Brad Daugherty had to end his outstanding playing career prematurely due to a back injury he experienced during the 1993-94 season.
The Sweet 16 is here! Tar Heels have a big one tonight as @UNC_Basketball takes on Alabama in the West Regional. #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/2DNJ1i38dt
— Brad Daugherty (@BradDaugherty43) March 28, 2024
After seeing the doctor, it was found that Brad didn’t suffer a simple back injury but lumbar disc herniation that was capable enough to affect his movement harshly.
So he soon had surgery to fix it, but it instead obliged him to end his career. Regarding the matter, he once talked to the New York Times and said,
I thought maybe I’d be able to play basketball again until the last month or month and a half. I’d wake up in the morning and twist around to see if the back would be better, but it wasn’t getting better.
Via The New York Times
Brad couldn’t return to the basketball court for the next two seasons, and eventually, after the 1995-96 season, he announced his retirement as a player and started as an ESPN racing analyst.
Since then, Brad Daugherty has consistently been involved in the American sports industry, but besides injury, no major illness has been reported yet.
Brad Daugherty also underwent multiple surgeries to improve his vision!
In the past few years, Brad Daugherty has undergone several injuries to improve his eyesight. He initially noticed a problem in his right eye while playing golf and soon went on to consult with doctors in a Cleveland clinic.
After some examination, it was discovered that Brad had a vitreous fluid leak, causing him eye floaters.
Thank you to everyone whose followed me on this X journey, I’m grateful for this milestone. #10K pic.twitter.com/MbJygVWRsA
— Brad Daugherty (@BradDaugherty43) January 10, 2024
According to ophthalmologist Rishi Singh, Brad had ‘legal blindness in his right eye essentially‘ when he reached out to the clinic for treatment. He also had a retinal tear in his left eye.
His eyesight was actually in a worse condition. It took so long for him to regain his vision, even after several sessions with doctors.
While discussing about his eye issue, he once said,
I still couldn’t see a thing out of my right eye after weeks of recovering. I was frustrated because it seemed like I was losing my vision. I also had a cataract in my other eye I needed to have fixed.
Via Cleveland Clinic
So, he has had several injuries in a short time. Things took time, but treatments eventually helped him regain his vision. Now, things have turned far better for him.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Brad Daugherty was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina, on October 19, 1965. He is currently 59 years old.
- After graduating from Charles D. Owen High School, he attended the University of North Carolina.
- He now owns the NASCAR Cup Series team JTG Daugherty Racing. According to his Twitter bio, he is also an analyst at NBC Sports and The Bally Sports CLE.
