Many sports legends end their careers on a high note, and many more stay on too long. Some of the greatest comebacks in sports history have occurred in the NBA, NFL, and other leagues.
From the famous Michael Jordan fax to Marshawn Lynch’s unexpected comeback in the last week of the regular NFL season, these comebacks delighted their supporters and even altered the course of sports history.
Such as when people all across the world were given hope when Magic Johnson decided to play basketball again, showing that HIV wasn’t a death sentence and that you could play professional basketball while living with the virus.
The following sports legends all decided they weren’t quite ready to give up the game and returned to the field or court; therefore, here are six of the most inspiring athletes’ comebacks in history.
Michael Jordan
Before making a spectacular comeback to the NBA in 1995, Jordan took a 17-month hiatus from basketball to play a little bit of minor-league baseball. He came back for a second “threepeat” of his career, lasting an additional four years and winning three NBA titles.
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After spending two seasons with the Washington Wizards, the basketball legend retired once more in 1999, came back in 2001 for a further two years, and announced his permanent retirement in 2003.
Magic Johnson
Before announcing his immediate retirement due to HIV, Johnson was an NBA player from 1979 to 1991. He then participated in the 1992 Summer Olympics as a member of the “Dream Team” and was selected for the All-Star squad that year. After that, Johnson took a four-year hiatus from basketball.
However, in January 1996, at the age of 36, Johnson returned to the court following a brief coaching stint with the Lakers in 1994. The team qualified for the postseason, and Johnson deems his last-minute comeback “a success.” He demonstrated that his illness would not stop him when he retired in May of that year.
Roger Clemens
World Series winner and All-Star pitcher Clemens took a year off from baseball before declaring in 2004 that he would join the Astros. After spending three seasons there and winning his seventh Cy Young Award, he spent one more season with the New York Yankees. In 2007, he played his last game.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
One of the greatest and most gifted boxers of all time, Mayweather has never lost a fight in his professional career and has had his greatest comeback twice. Following his 2009 comeback, he boxed for an additional eleven bouts before retiring once more in 2015.
And in 2017, Mayweather made a comeback to take on Conor McGregor. He prevailed once more, announced his retirement, and hinted at a 2020 comeback.
Andy Pettitte
2011 saw Pettitte officially retire from the Yankees, but he made a comeback to the team in 2012 as a guest instructor and nearly immediately went back to the minor leagues.
He rejoined the major leagues two months later to participate in the 2013 season, and he formally re-signed with the Yankees. Andy Pettitte became the team’s all-time strikeout leader with 2,000 strikeouts.
Marshawn Lynch
Lynch announced his retirement in 2016 following his 2013 Super Bowl victory. Nonetheless, he made a comeback in the final week of the regular season at the end of 2019. Lynch made a comeback to the NFL and his beloved Seahawks.
Despite the fact that the Seahawks were out of the playoffs, he finished fourth on the all-time list of postseason rushing touchdowns with three touchdowns.