It has been five seasons since Bernard King's serious injury; he only played seven games when he first returned in the 1986-1987 season.
After being traded to the Washington Bullets, his scoring average dropped to 16 points, only slightly higher than his year in Utah; nobody believed he could return to his peak.
Everyone thought that under the ravages of injury and age, he would become older and slower and eventually become a marginal figure in the league due to a lack of defensive and organizational skills.
Unexpectedly, he recovered step by step, painstakingly refining his offensive skills, protecting his knees and body, with his scoring slowly rising from 16 points to 20, and then to 22.
Finally, at the age of 34, he returned to the All-Star ranks and stood on the stage of the Charlotte Arena as the Eastern Conference's starting forward.
For Bernard King, this was a tremendous honor; it had been a whole six years since his last All-Star appearance.
