Shaun Livingston: Magic Johnson 2.0, horribly injured ... 3-Time Champion

[@ThinkTwice2222]

Playing 100 games a year for 5 years at the tail end of your career is the real highlight

[@David-iv6je]

Livingston's comeback at that level is one of the most inspiring in all of sports. I'd also mention Sean Elliott, who won a championship with end stage kidney disease, and played for a couple more years. And then Alonzo Mourning who won the ring with the Heat in 2006 AFTER he had his kidney transplant.

[@travislee5902]

Do one on Alonzo Mourning

[@roboninja3194]

Stockton at the end of his career: 2000- 82 games played 2001- 82 games played 2002- 82 games played 2003- 82 games played Sadly in today's NBA players whine about having to play 65 games.

[@TStizzle19]

​@@roboninja3194 man you still found a way to make this about Stockton? Embarrassing

[@dio5731]

@@roboninja3194 they aren’t whining about 65 games, it’s about making these guys have to rush back from injury, there bodies are there literal commodity and they shouldn’t feel rushed to go and play injured so they can insure they can get awards, those awards are literally tied to if they can get certain contract numbers i.e the Supermax

[@iamrichrocker]

got mad respect for Sam Cassell for being a great team mate and mentor..and having Shauns back on his search for a good fit of a team..

[@rafaelfermin4619]

I have genuinely read NOTHING bad about Sam Cassell ever. The dude always appears in tricky situations with underachieving teams and he always pulled through. Extremely underrated locker room presence

[@wizzfizz6800]

Now he’s an assistant coach with the Celtics! which explains the good chemistry

[@elbowgang9715]

Sam is a basketball lifer and great dude

[@anthonyemerson2965]

Sam being the first man out to Livingston after the injury (even before the trainer) is heartbreaking.

[@TL2354]

Not happy respect?

[@holabae4817]

Props to Cassel for giving Shaun the confidence

[@BasketballJunkie1324]

What a teammate man.... I have a hard time believing what he did. Salute

[@TL2354]

Props?

[@enthusiastofcute]

How he came back from that injury is so inspiring

[@nonbaplease]

If gsw used his mid range shots more when 3s not falling in 2016.... maybe lbj wont win a ring for cleveland

[@exeterra4825]

IIRC the doctor even told him the only solution could be amputation because literally everything was torn in his knee. Shaun becoming multi time champion after that is amazing

[@CCDaDon15]

I was born in Peoria. Grew up on the south side of Chicago. Before I dropped out I moved back to Peoria and went to Peoria Central. I didn’t go to school with him, he was drafted about a year and a half before I went there. But I always will root for the hometown guy. Shout out to Jim Thome, btw. But, I was heartbroken when he had the injury. It was so sad and hard to watch. He’s one of the nicest people not just in basketball, sports, or entertainment, but just life in general. The fact that he came back and was the perfect backup PG anyone could ask for on a dynasty is a perfect end to the story of an inspiring person.

[@angelusgnz5784]

One of the most underrated key pieces in the golden state warriors dynasty.

[@maxazzopardi7446]

100% correct. A lot of NBA fans don't realize that Livingston is a 6'7" true point guard who would run the Warriors backup rotation. He couldn't shoot. But he could do everything else very well

[@Max-me9ol]

@@maxazzopardi7446 couldnt shoot? you mean couldnt shoot 3s right? because in the finals against the cavs he damn near looked like the best midrange shooter ive ever seen.

[@beasley10]

@@maxazzopardi7446u must didn’t watch his warriors stint ,do was automatic from the mid range ,he didn’t take many 3s

[@FrankThe77Tank]

Yup, guys like Livingston, Andrew Bogut, David Lee, Harrison Barnes, etc.. get forgotten about because of how big Steph, Klay, Draymond, Iguodala were..

[@goldenstatewarriors9418]

@@maxazzopardi7446I don’t know about the couldn’t shoot part. He wasn’t a 3 point shooter no doubt but I swear he never missed from the midrange.

[@dio5731]

Secret Base giving guys like Shaun they flowers is why they are consistently some of the best story tellers in sports

[@TL2354]

Talk like a human

[@Flow_Easy]

The mid range MASTER! Shaun Middy!

[@craigwheeler4760]

There's exactly one mid-range master of all time. His name was Michael Jeffrey Jordan

[@spider-man120]

Never missed a midrange, one of the best backup PG’s ever and a really chill dude.

[@foluke1993]

Stories like these are the reason we love sports.

[@abeljohnbormate1212]

This is the Career I wish Lonzo Ball to have at least. Zo can really help Teams with his Elite passing and Shooting and Defense I wish he gets to warriors or the spurs

[@miguelladinodevera614]

Spurs need a true pg like Zo. The kid's gonna be terrific there.

[@elliemyers6435]

So proud for Shaun....There was talk of his leg having to be amputated when that injury first happened, and for him to come back from that and play...and play well is just awesome. I always wondered what it would've been like had he gone to Duke...him and JJ redick together for a year would've definitely been a cool thing to watch. I remember when he got drafted, Jay Bilas said that we could look back on that draft in five years and see that Shaun was the best player there. While that didn't happen, seeing him ultimately achieve success DID happen, which is awesome. He's a guy you can't help but root for.

[@ChairmanMeow1]

I went to high school with Shaun at Peoria Central HS. Sat next to him in an English class. Never really talked to him much or anything but he seemed like a quiet and reserved dude. Very calm. Basketball games were so fun around that time (98-02). Go Lions.

[@DarkShines86]

Shaun and I were in the same graduating class of ‘04. He went to Richwoods his fresh/soph years and transferred to Central for ‘03 and ‘04.

[@mamba24ever8]

Ngl I always thought the Magic comparisons were a little blown out with nostalgia basis until I saw this. Flirting with a quad double as a teen is crazy 😂😂 dudes a legend and an inspiration beyond sports

[@TL2354]

Ngl?

[@mamba24ever8]

@@TL2354 not gonna lie lol

[@charlesariyibi8601]

This right here. This story and others is what make Secret Base so good.

[@goldenstatewarriors9418]

It felt like he never missed from midrange. That’s one of the most brutal sports injuries I’ve seen. Being able to walk again was a success, being able to play basketball again was very impressive. Being able to contribute to championship teams after going through that is nothing short of amazing.

[@jameswatson8387]

everytime he got his spot on the baseline you knew it was going in. that turn around fadeaway was a cheatcode

[@APrimusHokie]

I've seen it as well. Its awful but it's the screams he has right after that got me to cry

[@GR-nz3om]

If the NBA ever has a comeback player of the year award, it should be named after Shaun Livingston

[@tim.noonan]

They really should have one imo. With how storyline-driven the NBA awards are nowadays that would be a perfect fit.

[@nonbaplease]

If gsw used his mid range shots more when 3s not falling in 2016.... maybe lbj wont win a ring for cleveland

[@AndreIguodalaFan55]

They used to, but got rid of it They should bring it back though

[@JonathanWoodall]

@@AndreIguodalaFan55maybe I’ve been listening to too much Bill Simmons because I swear that was already an award 😂

[@onebigadvocado6376]

They should absolutely make that!

[@mariliacesarhorta]

I really appreciate how this series tells stories of players beyond the usual "goat candidates". The history of sport goes way beyond the dominant conquerors, and I feel SB is great at recognizing that

[@xelefonte]

*Sean Livingston is a perfect example of perseverance and determination. I remember watching his injury on sports center like 20 years ago and I thought he would never recover. It was so ugly, that it looked like a career-ending injury. He not only recovered but contributed critically to a championship team. I remember in Game 1 of the 2016 NBA finals vs Cavs, Sean Livingston led all Warriors with 20 points. He was spectacular. Off the court, he’s also a great person. He is a great source for inspiration. Despite his draft projection to be a superstar, he still had a great career as an offset of the injury. He deserved this secret base breakdown.*

[@greyklopstock7155]

As a lifelong warriors fan since the we believe days, I don't think I've ever seen anyone as absolutely automatic from the midrange as Shaun Livingston. He was just so dependable, so steady, smart, good defender. Loved him on the team. It felt like whenever we needed a change up, needed a different pitch, us fans could all depend on Shaun to come in and throw something completely different at the opposing defense

[@michaelh9656]

I don't follow basketball very closely but I watch SB religiously because I know I'll get these gems about people I wouldn't otherwise have heard of. Great stuff.

[@FrankThe77Tank]

I remember watching the Knicks game back when he came into the league when they were playing the Clippers. Mike Breen & Clyde Frazier were talking about how great he was supposed to be.. & then shortly after he had the terrible injury. He may not have lived up to expectations, but he ended up being a very good role player, who carved out a nice career for himself!

[@ShadowThe771]

Would have liked to see a What If about him not suffering that injury. Does he become the star that he was projected to be for the Clippers? Probably not, cause it’s the Clippers.

[@FrankThe77Tank]

@@ShadowThe771 I feel like he would’ve been a good player who averaged about 20 pts, 6 ast, 4 reb in his prime. Not worth the 4th overall pick, but maybe a late 1st Rounder, early 2nd Rounder..

[@FrankThe77Tank]

@@ShadowThe771 It’s crazy cause he never even averaged 10 pts in any season…

[@jfifthb]

@@FrankThe77Tank if you put up 20/4/6 at your peak that's still worth a top-10 pick. especially in the lower-scoring 2000s

[@FrankThe77Tank]

@@jfifthb That’s a good point since he would’ve put up those numbers around 2010.. As a Knicks fan, that’s what Barrett was putting up & he was the 3rd pick, but I think he’s gonna get up to around 23 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast in his prime. Good Point though.. I guess I meant because Livingston was supposed to be like a generational talent & to be that, you gotta get up to 27 pts I feel like..

[@alexanderganias2884]

I loved watching Livingston when he was on the Nets. Glad his Brooklyn tenure got a mention in this video

[@MrTUBEular10]

Commenting without even watching the video. This is what I come to Secret Base for. I've been waiting for a Shaun Livingston career video. I have his injury emgrained in my memory. Can't wait to see this...

[@noah509]

Literally one of the greatest middy's ever

[@Maleek732]

I’m glad he had a late resurgence in his career. That injury was devastating and not easy to return to. Much respect for Livingston.

[@predsdreads3179]

One of my favorite Clippers ever; such a tragic injury that happened but he recovered like few ever have.

[@drewcummings2453]

Man that 2015 warriors team was just so likeable. So many great stories across the roster, this being one of the best

[@geezushasrisen]

Shaun Livingston; the 15 foot jump shot GOD.

[@TheJalinmyles]

I still remember that injury and when I realized it was Livingston I was so happy he came back in Brooklyn I was so excited for him

[@aarmthe_fan]

I commented this on another video about Shaun Livingston so I'm just going to repost it here as well. Shaun Livingston is unironically one of my favorite basketball players of all time. The fact he came back from one of the worst injuries in basketball history and still had a successful career I will always appreciate and respect. He was also goated in 2K.

[@Jeff-mk1fm]

I love you guys for this. Its a beautifully composed retelling of my personal hero. What he went through can be extracted for any kind of troubles in life, he is the storied athletic underdog that we always hear about

[@derekwtang]

One of the best bench players. Appreciate everything he did for Golden State. Am glad he was able to play after his injuries

[@awc6007]

Him and Rip Hamilton got underrated mid range game.

[@insuchaway]

They should do a Mid Range version of the 3 point contest.

[@craigwheeler4760]

The ultimate underrated mid-range jump shot master was Wilt Chamberlain. Over half of his shots came from mid-range on fadeaway jumpers like Michael Jordan. In fact, Michael Jordan took inspiration and a lot of example from Wilt Chamberlain's fade away. Wilt was only doing it to take the power out of his shot, so it would be more accurate, but Jordan did it to get over the defender

[@brandonclarke5775]

One of the best comeback stories

[@DarkMage530]

The Prism is hands down one of the best Mini-docuseries ever. Every story is just incredibly well told and gives so much context to these players careers. Absolutely love these. I knew little of Linvingston prior to his stint at Golden State so this was a fascinating overview of everything he had gone through.

[@Irfanhill]

One of my favorite players on the Golden State Warriors during their dynasty, with Iggy. Veteran guys, super clever, who knew their roles and were absolutely ok with playing 20 minutes a game and not showing up in the statsheets as much as they really wieghed in on the games. His turnaround jumper in the post was... *chief's kiss* I did not follow him at all before that, so I just knew him in this face of the prism, and loved this version of him. I love players like that, the Battiers of the NBA.

[@HayabusaRyu]

Shawn was awesome! His backdown, turn around, mid range jumper was as smooth as butter

[@FrankThe77Tank]

Damn I remember watching Livingston on the early 2000’s Clippers. I think those were the teams with Elton Brand, Chris Kaman, Corey Maggette, etc.. I’m a Knicks Fan & it was one of the few teams we could beat around 2005 lol..

[@MidKahuna]

The way his teammates always give him praise and continuously outline his importance is a true testament to his importance and greatness. Truly underrated.

[@radiologicphysicist1083]

I remember seeing that injury live. That shook me for a long time. Really glad he was able to come back and play at a high level again.

[@robk6831]

Been watching Livingston since High School here in central IL. Such a great story.

[@repulsivefish]

this is my favorite series from y’all. a lot gets lost in sports fandom, and people tend to forget that these players are complicated human beings that face their own adversities in and outside the sport.

[@jeffharvey8283]

That's an injury I cannot watch again. It looks like it completely exploded. Insane that he came back from that, nothing but hard work and heart.

[@brianalaundrie6192]

That leg break still seared into my brain

[@aaronfoster2864]

I may not be a warrior fan but mad respect for Shaun Livingston

[@TL2354]

Why are you mad?

[@roronoazorro9509]

A truly inspirational story. In addition, Shaun Livingston also never missed a midrange shot for the warriors. No amount of stats or video footage will convince me otherwise. Dude was lethal

[@SC2_WARRIORS]

The man is a legend. I always liked his play style when I watched him with the Warriors.

[@Irfanhill]

I took a look at his basketball-reference page, it's crazy to see that he never averaged 10 points for a season, his career HIGHS are 25 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists (an average game for some of today's beasts), yet he had a real impact on a major dynasty of the league.

[@maxcastin4777]

this story is mad inspiring glad y’all covered this

[@Baker33]

I grew up and played highschool ball about an hour away from peoria. I was born in 03 so I never saw him play in highschool, but he is still a legend in central Illinois

[@redskullz1249]

I was a huge fan of the young Livingstone and actually saw his injury live. Truly one of the most stomach-turning things I've ever been unfortunate enough to watch. Even when I was rooting for the Cavs against the Warriors during their 2010s rivalry and Livingstone was a thorn in the Cavs side, I could never root against him. Along with Grant Hill and Zo Mourning, his is one of the best redemption stories in the NBA.

[@detox4lyfe]

Incredibly strong willed young man. Inspiring!

[@joosegoose25]

One of my all time favorite players and 'what if' careers. Never realized how much of an impact Cassell and Flip had. RIP Flip

[@jorgethegreat]

Props to Sam Cassell. Not only he was a good PG but off the court too.

[@omury9]

very inspiring story told by an expert storyteller. this was a great watch.

[@BradPitts]

I remember where I was as a kid seeing that injury highlight on sportscenter because it was so gnarly...then they played the replay 5 times in a row in all angles

[@white.widow.ak47]

Shaun was so good and smooth with midrange that I don't even think I've seen him missed one.

[@BeyondTheNetsPod]

He’s a legend in his own right. He also played for the Nets in 2013-14 when I became a Nets fan so yeah 😃

[@kincamell2]

Cool Basketball Player. Resilient Dude. Peace to Peoria, That's Richard Pryor's hometown as well

[@jakegoldberg6700]

I always loved this guy! Knew him from his nets days

[@WestSide1207]

As a kid i remember seeing that knee injury live and it made me sick to my stomach. So awesome he was able to recover and have a great career.

[@over_the_line_mark_it_0]

One of the wildest careers. Great pick for an episode. Andy Reid is going to be a good Prism episode too...

[@LegitLongevity]

Best narrator back at it again, unrivaled!

[@GeneralUile]

He had one of the greatest mid-ranger jumpers AFTER the grossest injury in NBA history. Inspirational.

[@1mtrynagetdown]

This might be my favorite video ever

[@trejoseph9837]

Glad to Shaun getting some much needed recognition

[@beasley10]

SL mid range shot was automatic swish ,shoutout to that brother for not giving up

[@gillpeakperformance4945]

Terrific video! The term "inspirational" may get overused in sports, but Livingston's recovery can really be inspirational to athletes with serious injuries that cause self-doubt and psychological challenges.

[@eddazenstoner3451]

Love these...but when is the next dorktown nfl team history vids coming⏸️🤣

[@theophilusjones6024]

So glad u mentioned Brooklyn… that’s when I saw that he could playyy!!

[@barshaygraves1511]

Happy he got some flowers. One of the last few classes of HS to NBA. Went through hell and back.

[@malik2246]

Shaun Livingston is really that guy man.

[@CookiesToAFatChick]

There has never been a more consistent turn around mid range. Game on the line, I'm betting the house on it. Cant believe that wasn't mentioned in this otherwise amazing piece.

[@HiteshSarup]

The quality and story telling in your videos is exceptional!!!

[@AnacondaHL]

Yea I saw that injury the day it happened. It is still an unthinkable miracle how his career played out they way it did

[@xavierrenger]

I was SO looking forward to an episode on him 😍😍

[@nickmontalbano9573]

The cleanest baseline jumper I’ve ever seen.

[@christopheryu7445]

So well written. Thanks for the video Seth.

[@ROHANTHEZOHAN]

Can’t think of a more perfect player who fits the concept of prism as a show as well as livingston

[@briangibbs2267]

I love this kind of retrospective 🎉

[@mt9085]

Shaun ❤

[@eded94]

livingston was one of the most reliable role players ever. very few turnovers, great playmaking / pace control, and automatic midrange. so critical for the warriors dynasty

[@matthewdavis4393]

Shaun Livingston being inserted into the Nets' starting lineup in place of an injured Brook Lopez was the turning point. Even with Garnett there, he arguably became the anchor of what immediately became an elite defense on top of his patented midrange game. Seriously, look at the coverage of the Nets at the time and people were making the case for an All-Defensive team slot for him.

[@AirRusher1992]

This guy was such a huge inspiration coming back from suffering the worst injury in basketball history to now becoming a 2x champion as an integral piece of the Golden State Warriors dynasty.

[@es7990]

Remember watching him as a Cavs fan wanting us to keep him. Def played well and with some noticeable intensity

[@jean-huguesbitaamenye8785]

A great story, for a great champion.

[@dr.wrinklebrain2667]

Love Shaun Livingston man he stood out even on thaat warriors team

[@patrickdykes9709]

Love Shaun, great player, that mid range jumper was nice

[@stevo999]

never knew this much about his story great vid guys

[@jackramsden9346]

Big up S.dot. Massive reason for those championships. Will always have my respect.

[@Trialander]

my goat getting true recognition

[@nicka4462]

Warriors legend. It felt like he couldn't miss from mid range, especially in big games.

[@patwalsh1045]

i remember gasping out loud in shock when sportscenter showed his injury the night it happened. the most gruesome gnarly injury i have ever seen to this day, give me paul george and kevin ware bone breaks snapping through their skin alllllll day before a knee injury like that

[@kylewinborn]

been waiting for this one thank you Seth

[@guitarmad2395]

I’ve never clicked a notification so fast. Excellent video

[@sirgogetter]

Excellently done recap of an incredible sports story. Really enjoyed this one from start to finish. Even in its relative brevity, there are quite a few feel-good moments in this video. First off, Shaun certainly deserves the lion's share of the credit for overcoming his adversities, being willing to accept the secondary playmaker/journeyman roles for several years, and for having the self-belief and faith to keep following his dream of being an NBA player through it all. That said, major kudos is warranted to those like the late Coach Saunders and especially Sam Cassell for using their influence to ensure that Livingston had enough of an opportunity to shine in some of his roles. It goes to show that even in the realm of professional sports, where there is so much emphasis placed on talent, it still sometimes boils down to people believing in another's potential and worth. These are the kinds of videos that make this channel unique and engaging. It's not merely about the games and stats (which are often superbly presented); it's also about spotlighting the humanity that exists within so many of these moments but typically get overlooked in our obsession with these athletes and their performances. I feel like I'm starting to ramble a bit, so I'll just end it by saying great work to everyone involved in helping to produce content of this caliber. Thanks for your efforts!

[@ShadowDragonGT]

His turn around jumper was deadly it couldn’t be stop

[@TheMILVSCR]

You know a channel is good when you start watching older videos about players (and topics for that matter) that you really don't care about.

[@omoowobhd]

I remember he was a rising star before the injury and I'm glad he returned healthy...

[@WilliamGonzalez-op4pt]

Sam Cassell is a real one. He always supported Shaun and gave him as many opportunities as he could even when most doubted him.