Athletes Who Came Back to Their Original Teams For Final Seasons
ESPN’s Last Dance documentary series has taken the sports-starved world by storm. A new generation is now privy to the greatness of Michael Jordan and those 90s Chicago Bulls teams. Jordan’s sidekick, Scottie Pippen, has also received some renewed shine (and light criticism) from Last Dance, and although the doc probably won’t cover Pippen’s career post-1998, it’s an interesting tale. He would (spoiler alert) leave the Bulls after the season being covered in Last Dance and make the postseason each of his next five seasons (’98-03) with two different teams (Houston & Portland).
Pippen’s final season brought him all the way back to the beginning. He played sparingly (23 games) for the Bulls during the 2003-04 season, his final stint in the NBA. You hear about lost seasons when a star leaves his team at the end (ie: Emmitt Smith in Arizona) but you rarely hear about guys leaving, then coming back for a (most of the time) lost season. It’s sort of like when bands play small venues on the way up…then again on the way back down.
Here are some other examples that come to mind from all three sports.
Athletes Who Came Back to Their Original Teams at the End of Their Careers
NBA
Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers
This is one people actually remember. One of my favorite memories is when Iverson kissed the logo in his first game back with the Sixers.
Second stint w/76ers: 25 GP, 13.9 PPG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XXxK1OYHo0
Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Clippers
After a disastrous season with the Mavs, Odom was traded to the team that drafted him for one last go-round. He looked out of shape at times and there may have been some off-court distractions, yet the two-time champ played all 82 games and helped the Clips win their division.
Second stint w/Clippers: 82 GP, 4.0 PPG
Steve Francis, Houston Rockets
Stevie Franchise’s star burned out fast but fans remember those killer years he had with the pre-T-Mac Rockets. He then had two decent seasons in Orlando after getting swapped for T-Mac, then saw his career fall apart in the Big Apple. Prior to the 2007-08 season, he ran it back once more in H-Town — this time alongside T-Mac & Yao — but it was a flop and ended with an injury. He only hit double figures once in 10 games, and in the three games he started, Francis shot 20 percent from the floor.
Second stint w/Rockets: 10 GP, 5.5 PPG
Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
Wade’s return home was one of the better ones, maybe the best. The Cavs did him a favor by shipping him back home, then within a few games, he had a memorable game (and game-winner) against Philly. He came back for one more year in 2018-19, receiving (multiple) tributes and an (honorary) all-star nod.
Second stint w/Heat: 93 GP, 14.4 PPG