As the likes of Joakim Noah, Jamal Crawford, and J.R. Smith make comeback attempts in the bubble, we take a look at nine players (aside from the obvious, Michael Jordan) who actually declared retirement but then later came back to play again.
With their playing career often fueled by singular talent and ruthless competitiveness, these legendary players found those traits to be mostly a deterrent in their subsequent attempts at coaching in the NBA.
In a special Halloween-themed list, we look at the scariest, gruesome, and downright most horrific injuries in NBA history that hampered the chances of a legitimate title contender. This is an update to a list that originally ran on 3/28/19.
For every glorious moment like Willis Reed coming through the tunnel to spark the Knicks to victory in the 1970 NBA Finals, there are numerous examples of star players getting injured either late in the season or during the playoffs, and their inability to return to play costing their team a potential championship.