Top 11 Athletes Playing Through Pain.. Tiger Woods, 2008 U.S. Open Woods' victory at Torrey Pines was plenty impressive when we thought he was still recuperating from arthroscopic surgery and an eight-week layoff. Then came the news that he won his 14th major with double stress fractures in his tibia and a knee that will require reconstructive ACL surgery. And that earns him a spot on this list of athletes who truly prove the maxim "no pain, no gain." Kirk Gibson, Game 1, 1988 World Series A bad left hamstring and a swollen right knee limited Gibson to just one at-bat in the '88 World Series between the Dodgers and the A's. But what an at-bat it was. With the Dodgers down to their last out and Hall-of-Fame closer Dennis Eckersley on the mound, Gibson hit a two-run homer to give L.A. a 5-4 win and spur them to a stunning series victory. Richard Mackson/Sports Illustrated - Getty Images Willis Reed, Game 7, 1970 NBA Finals OK, so Reed only managed to score four points against the Lakers in this game. But in limping onto the court despite a deep thigh injury — and outjumping Wilt Chamberlain for the opening tip — he inspired his Knicks teammates to a 113-99 win and the first NBA title in franchise history. Walter Iooss Jr./ NBAE - Getty Images Curt Schilling, Game 6, 2004 ALCS There are some who view Schilling's bloody sock with the same level of skepticism as Paul Pierce's little wheelchair trip during Game 1 of the just concluded NBA Finals. That being said, Schilling did throw seven innings of one-run baseball with sutures in his right ankle, helping the Red Sox to overcome a 3-0 series deficit against the hated Yankees. Al Bello - Getty Images Michael Jordan, Game 5, 1997 NBA Finals A case of the stomach flu had left Jordan severely dehydrated and several pounds lighter heading into Game 5 of the Bulls' series with the Jazz. Even so, he managed to play 44 minutes, scoring 38 points (including the 3-pointer that put Chicago on top for good) in the Bulls' win. Andy Hayt/NBAE - Getty Images Kerri Strug, 1996 Olympics The U.S. women's gymnastics team needed one good vault to clinch the gold in the team competition. Unfortunately, Kerri Strug had just one good ankle. But Strug limped to the runway, stuck her second attempt on just the one foot, then had to be carried by U.S. coach Bela Karolyi onto the podium to receive her medal. Mike Powell - Getty Images Jack Youngblood, 1980 Super Bowl The Rams came up short in their attempt to upset the heavily favored Steelers in the Super Bowl, but you certainly couldn't fault Youngblood. The Hall-of-Fame defensive lineman was playing in the game — as he had throughout the entire postseason — with a fractured left fibula. DAVID MAXWELL/AFP - Getty Images Michael Chang, 1989 French Open Fighting both a severe attack of leg cramps and the No. 1 player in the world (three-time French Open champion Ivan Lendl), 17-year-old Michael Chang was reduced to playing moon balls and serving underhanded during this fourth-round match at Roland Garros. And it worked, as Chang rallied after dropping the first two sets and took the match en route to his only Grand Slam title. Simon Bruty - Getty Images Bobby Baun, Game 6, 1964 Stanley Cup finals We could probably have filled this list exclusively with hockey players. But even given the typical NHL player's standard for playing with pain, Bobby Baun was particularly hard core. The Maple Leafs defenseman scored the game-winning goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings despite having broken his ankle earlier in the game. Bruce Bennett Studios - Getty Images Isiah Thomas, Game 6, 1988 NBA Finals Long before he was known for questionable personnel decisions (and even more questionable workplace behavior), Isiah Thomas was known as one of the NBA's toughest players. Despite playing with a severely sprained ankle, Thomas scored 25 third-quarter points against the Lakers, nearly pulling the upset of the defending champs. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE - Getty Images Franz Beckenbauer, 1970 World Cup Granted, soccer players aren't supposed to use their hands. But it's still pretty impressive that Beckenbauer played in Germany's semifinal match against Italy with his arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder. It'd have been even more impressive if he'd been able to prevent a 4-3 loss, but that's just being nitpicky on our part. STAFF/AFP - Getty Images foxsports.com
Yeah Tiger showed he has the toughness to go with his skill by going out there in a lot of discomfort and playing as well as he did.
