When Will Athletes Learn to Stop Making a Comeback?
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Athletes cannot give up the thought of making a comeback.
Their years playing their sport has not satiated their thirst for more competition. Maybe their bodies have given up before they decided to retire the first time, and they walked away. But the same excuse is used for making a comeback.
“I want to go out on my own terms.”
Well, your body helped you make that decision the first time. Why would the second time be any different?
This post is dedicated to some of the recent athletes that have decided to that making a comeback was the smart thing to do and how those decisions have not been the best decision they have decided to make.
Brett Favre is the most notable athlete on this list. He’s held whole organizations hostage on the grounds that he was deciding between teams and was making a comeback to have “another shot at a Super Bowl.”
Favre was close to making the Super Bowl in 2009, the year after he had an injury as a New York Jet. This was one of the most successful comebacks, if you can call it that. I would define “making a comeback” as having spent more than one year away from the sport. In Favre’s case, he spent the offseason rehabbing his shoulder.
Michael Jordan fits the mold of making a comeback twice. Michael Jordan spent the 1993-94 season, chasing his passion to play baseball because he had nothing to prove in the game of basketball. Which I might add is VERY true. He was THE sport of basketball, winning three straight championships, scoring titles, MVPs, and so on. There was no equal.
He was also in his prime. When Jordan came back, there were no injuries, no age-related problems. He was never really gone, in essence. So hence, his comeback from baseball was considered a massive success.
However, his comeback to the Washington Wizards was not. In fact, Jordan’s appearance didn’t help them reach the playoffs, and Jordan never played in all 82 games. He did the following year, but still never made the playoffs. Was his comeback successful based on those stats? Possibly, but not because there was any team success. Jordan is just special.
There are a hosts of other NBA players who are making a comeback or attempting one.
Here are a few notable stars who have tried or are still attempting on making a comeback.
- Allen Iverson. Iverson tried to get an NBA contract, but his past history as a bad teammate ultimately doomed his chances of making a comeback.
- Stephon Marbury. Similar to Iverson, Marbury worked hard on making a comeback, but no NBA team wanted him. Now, he now plays in China, happily.
- Rasheed Wallace. Rasheed is no longer the player he used to be, but he is still effective and is helping the 2012-13 New York Knicks to the best record in the league.
- Brandon Roy. Roy had to retire while he was just beginning to pique because of his troublesome knees. He spent a year away, rehabbing and making sure his knees were able to handle the load of an NBA season. Unfortunately, his complete making a comeback trail was cut short when her had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. His body will not cooperate for his comeback.
- Antonio McDyess. McDyess has changed his game from the high-flying dunk machine to a creative scorer/rebounder in his later years. He retired after the San Antonio Spurs waived him, but there are supposed rumors from ESPN that he is trying to make a comeback.
Athletes are making a comeback because they believe they still have more to offer.
Unfortunately, this is stunting the growth of the incoming class of basketball players every year. The best experience is getting playing time and learning on the fly. Even though a veteran will be able to help some of the younger players, I believe if the bodies of the older guys keep quitting, they should hang up their cleats, shoes, etc. and just walk away.