By: Josh Brown

Chris Wright spent his whole life dreaming of playing pro basketball, only to receive a career-ending diagnosis as soon as it became a reality. Or so doctors said… 

Wright began to feel a tingling sensation in his right hand while playing in Turkey in 2012. It quickly spread throughout his whole body and was so debilitating he couldn’t move his feet or hands. After checking into the hospital, Wright learned that he had multiple sclerosis.

At that point, Wright was told he would never play basketball again. It made sense at first — MS damages the protective coverage of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cords, often leading to vision loss, pain, fatigue and impaired coordination — but Wright wasn’t ready to take no for an answer.

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He returned to the United States and underwent an aggressive treatment plan with a doctor who believed he could continue his career while battling the incurable disease. Wright not only taught himself how to walk and run again, but within three months of diagnosis was playing at the Spurs’ summer camp.

He ended up starting the 2012-2013 season with the Iowa Energy in the G-League. Midway through the season, he signed a 10-day contract with the Mavericks and became the first known player in NBA history with multiple sclerosis. In under a year, Wright went from hospital bed to the pinnacle of basketball success. 

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Amazingly enough, his story doesn’t end there. Wright has continued to beat the odds, logging a nine-year career in Europe & three-time stint in TBT. He’s currently suiting up with fellow TBT alums JP Macura and Mike Daum for Derthona Basket in Italy. 

“That’s definitely one of the things I pride myself on, being the face of it and being an inspiration and motivation for people to keep fighting,” Wright told ESPN in 2013. “I’m not afraid to challenge this.”