With nearly all sports cancelled across the globe, the lockdown has meant days of reminiscing, debating and watching old games for sport fans.
By Sanjay Krishna
Amongst the nostalgic sports viewing, an old question from Twitter has caught the attention of the 1 NEWS online sports team and sparked a debate that's lasted days.
The question: If you can go back and give any single athlete a clean bill of health for their career, who do you choose and why?
Many names were mentioned and while one would expect that the majority of picks would be up-and-coming players struck down by injury on their way to stardom, most of the names we've picked are icons who managed to achieve greatness despite their careers being marred by injury or ill health.
Here are some names we've discussed, and also some of your suggestions. Who would you choose?
Jonah Lomu
First on the list and a unanimous choice across the newsroom. The late-great All Blacks winger changed rugby, leading the game into the professional era as its poster child and first superstar.
Although Lomu is regarded as one of the greatest ever, most of his career he played with a rare and crippling kidney disease called Nephrotic Syndrome.
Lomu went through a well-publicised stint on dialysis and a quest for a kidney transplant which lasted years, robbing him of much of what should have been the peak of his career.
Sir Michael Jones
Redefined the openside flanker position with his skill and explosive athleticism when he burst onto the international stage prior to and at the 1987 Rugby World Cup.
A devastating knee injury suffered against Argentina in 1989 left many fearing he would never play again. While 'The Iceman' would return to the All Blacks, he was never the same athletic force. The latter years of his career he developed into a 'take no prisoners' blindside flanker.
Robbie Freuan
A blockbusting centre who played 66 games for the Crusaders where he formed a dynamic partnership with Sonny Bill Williams in 2011. Higher honours seemed to be on the horizon but for rheumatic heart disease that he underwent open-heart surgery for on early in his career.
Finished his career in Europe before the condition forced him into retirement 2017.
Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson is a name not familar to many Kiwi sports fans but our counterparts in the USA will know of the legendary status of the athlete some consider to be the best ever.
Jackson was a force in both Major League Baseball and the NFL but a career-derailing hip dislocation suffered playing football robbed sports fans of a chance to see his unique athletic prowess dominate two codes.
He is still remembered for his insane displays of strength and athleticism such as the time he ran up a wall to take a catch and when he broke a baseball bat on his head.
Tiger Woods
Fifteen major titles and undoubtedly one of the best golfers ever. But he achieved all that despite back and knee injuries robbing him of a decade and what should have been the latter years of his peak.
Woods is still playing and still has the ability to dominate, with a Masters victory last year but who knows how many more majors he could've had if he was at full strength.
Shane Bond
One of the few New Zealand bowlers who genuinely troubled even the best batsmen. He had express pace coupled with accuracy. Not to mention a bowling action you could watch all day long.
Bond's career fell victim to the classic fast bowler's malady of stress fractures.
Martin Crowe
New Zealand's greatest ever batsman. Played 77 Tests and 143 ODIs, averaged over 45 in Test cricket and captained his country despite battling a number of injuries, most notably a debilitating knee injury.
Michael Owen
The former Liverpool star was never the same after a serious hamstring injury in the late 90s, the first of 28 injuries across his career. That injury saw Owen tear the muscle from the bone, stripping the Ballon D'or winner of his confidence and the lightning pace he had burst onto the scene with at the 1998 World Cup.
Nehe Milner-Skudder - Burst onto the scene in style as the All Blacks went back-to-back as Rugby World Cup champions. Electric pace, a lethal sidestep and an unmatched nose for the tryline had Milner-Skudder marked to be a fan-favourite for years to come.
But a shoulder injury in 2016 was the beginning of the end, with persistent injuries and irresistable form of others in his position seeing him lose his All Blacks spot. A French deal with Toulon saw Milner-Skudder say goodbye to New Zealand, however his luck with injuries didn't end there.
Ronaldo
One of football's all-time great strikers who attained the status despite suffering some serious injuries. The Brazillian striker, had 200 club and international goals under his belt by the age of 23 and was still great in his career despite a series of serious knee injuries.
Derrick Rose
Rose won the NBA MVP in 2011 playing for his hometown Chicago Bulls before tearing his ACL in 2012 and was never the same again. He had repeated injuries, robbing him of his spectacular athleticism and causing him to miss the majority of games across a number of seasons.
Earvin 'Magic' Johnson
One of the greatest basketball players of all time who was retired after contracting HIV in 1991 when he was 32. While he would play for the Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics and comeback in 1996, the HIV diagnosis effectively bought down the curtain on his Lakers career.
Jharal Yow Yeh
A winger for the Brisbane Broncos who seemingly had the rugby league world at his feet. Played for Australia and Queensland before a horrific leg break during a game in 2012. He tried to come back but never played again in the NRL.
Some other notable athletes who have suffered through career defining injuries:
Eliza McCartney - Fingers crossed the pole vaulter can find fitness after injury robbed her of kicking on from her medal at the Rio Olympics.
Christian Cullen - One of the great All Black fullbacks but was never back to his best after a series of knee injuries.
Charlie Ngatai - Seemed poised to burst on the All Blacks scene before a series of concussions cruelly robbed him of the chance.
Regan King - A one-Test All Black who was struck down by injury, robbing him of the chance to add to his Test career.
Richard Kahui - Went on to to star in the All Blacks' 2011 Rugby World Cup triumph. In the years prior to that tournament, his career was blighted by shoulder injuries.
David Pocock - At that same tournament, Pocock was on another level for the Wallabies. Would take over the Wallabies captaincy in 2012 before two knee reconstructions in two years. While he again starred for Australia at the 2015 World Cup, how good could he have been without those knee injuries?
Rob Gronkowski - Probably the NFL's greatest tight end despite playing through a variety of serious injuries. Won three Super Bowls with the Patriots before retiring young.
Andrew Luck - Another NFL star forced into early retirement. Luck was one of the most highly-regarded No.1 draft picks ever when he came into the league in 2012 but he never reached his potential because of a variety of injuries. Retired at 29.
Benji Marshall - A smoky suggestion. The Kiwis captain and NRL premiership winner was struck down by repeated shoulder injuries early in his career. Could his career have been even better?
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