Luckily, basketball isn't the most dangerous sport. (But there's always rugby if basketball doesn't crack enough skulls for you.) Most basketball injuries tend to be lower-body injuries, and while many can occur during games or practice, some just result from wear and tear over the course of a career.

Have you ever rolled an ankle? Yeah, well, get used to it. A sprained ankle is no excuse for missing that fade away three-pointer.

While minor injuries such as ankle sprains and jammed fingers tend to be the most common, dislocations, broken bones, and muscle and ligament tears aren't unheard of (source).

Solution? Prevention. Stretch before getting out on the court. Stretch after waking up. And in the shower. And during class. Flexibility and conditioning will be key to avoiding the injury bug. Spoiler alert: there's a ton of running and jumping in basketball and if you value your teeth, wear a mouth guard. Because, you know…elbows.