1) Magic Johnson (1992, 1996)

Between his shocking NBA retirement announcement in 1991 and his eventual comeback in 1996, Johnson kept plenty busy on the basketball court. Not only did he play (and earn MVP) in the 1992 All-Star Game and appear with the U.S. Olympic Dream Team in Barcelona, Johnson also toured the world with his “Magic Johnson Legends” playing exhibition games against CBA and EuroLeague squads. One comeback attempt with the Lakers in ’92-’93 was deterred by fan backlash, and then there was a brief, mostly unsuccessful foray coaching the Lakers in ’93-’94. Finally,, Johnson was back on the court in a Lakers uniform in ’95-’96, playing in 32 games late in the season. A little more paunchier and muscular, Johnson shifted to power forward and often struggled, but still regularly flashed some of that resplendent “magic” that made him a legend. There’s no doubt Johnson made the Lakers a more exciting team but it’s questionable if they were a better one, as they fell in the first round to the Rockets. In spite of the disappointing finish, Johnson felt now like he was finally retiring on his own terms.

2) Robert Reid (1983)

On the eve of training camp for the ’82-’83 Rockets, Reid made the shocking announcement that he was retiring at age 27. A versatile wing player with a reputation for tenacious defense, Reid had been a critical part of Houston’s surprise 1981 NBA Finals appearance. He retired not due to the usual causes like injury or aging but rather to re-devote himself to Pentecostalism. Born and raised in the church in Atlanta, Reid’s mother and grandmother were both Pentecostal preachers and he had apparently been struggling with balancing his faith and his basketball career. After a year in Florida attending church daily and working at a convenience store, Reid ended his sabbatical. Citing a desire to recommit to the Houston-based charities with which he worked extensively while on the Rockets, Reid rejoined the team in ’83-’84 and last all the way to ’90-’91. His stats took a dip but Reid was still endlessly valuable to the Rockets, including his shift to point guard in the 1986 playoffs due to various injuries and suspensions decimating the roster.

3) Dave Cowens (1982)

It was a symbolic moment when Cowens retired in 1980. His Celtics career had started one year after Bill Russell’s ended and now he was passing the torch to reigning Rookie of the Year Larry Bird. Though he was still only 31 years old, Cowens didn’t surprise many Boston fans with his retirement announcement. The quirky franchise legend had already semi-retired once, taking a lengthy leave of absence during the ’76-’77 season due to burnout. Cowens had also struggled just to make it through ’79-’80 due to lingering wear-and-tear, especially on his ankles and knees. He took a job as an athletic director at nearby Regis College but apparently that wasn’t exciting enough for Cowens, who announced his NBA return in the summer of 1982. Having replaced him at center with Robert Parish, the Celtics traded Cowens to the Bucks, coached by his former teammate Don Nelson. Cowens played decent in ’82-’83, averaging 8.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, but his knees weren’t up to the task and he sat out half the regular season and the entire postseason before retiring again.

4) Brandon Roy (2012)

After five NBA seasons marred by continuous knee issues, Roy announced his retirement in 2011. It was a melancholy end to a once promising career, as Roy had been Rookie of the Year and a three-time All-Star before undergoing reconstructive knee surgery. Roy found hope in Germany, where Kobe Bryant underwent a controversial procedure in the summer of 2011. The treatment involved platelet rich plasma getting extracted from Roy, separated in a centrifuge, and re-injected into his knee. Just as it ostensibly extended Bryant’s career, it seemingly revived Roy’s. He signed with the Timberwolves for the ’12-’13 season ready to rewrite his legacy but there was no fairy tale ending here for Roy. A preseason collision re-aggravated his knee pain, and Roy’s comeback ultimately lasted just five games before he shutting down for yet another surgery. Roy subsequently called it quits for good, stating that he’d come to terms with the limitations of his career and a life outside of playing basketball.

5) Sidney Moncrief (1990)

Synonymous with Bucks basketball, Moncrief was drafted by the franchise in 1979 and spent the next 10 seasons in Milwaukee. Over that span, Moncrief was named Defensive Player of the Year twice, played in five All-Star Games, led the Bucks to three Conference Finals, and placed top five in franchise history in points, assists, and rebounds. But a major knee injury began to hamper Moncrief during the ’86-’87 season and when his contract ended in 1989, the Bucks did not offer an extension. Moncrief opted to retire, returning to his native Arkansas to operate a car dealership and looking content when returning to Milwaukee a few months later for his jersey retirement ceremony. But citing boredom, Moncrief signed with the Hawks for the ’90-’91 season. Atlanta got a far cry from prime Moncrief, who was still struggling with knee pain and never looked quite comfortable wearing red instead of forest green. Moncrief did give them one last turn-back-the-clock performance in the playoffs, dropping 23 points in a first round win over the Pistons to stave off elimination.

6) Richie Guerin (1968)

One of the premier shooting guards of the ’60s, Guerin made six All-Star appearances for the Knicks, then shifted into a player-coach role for the Hawks. When the SuperSonics selected Guerin in their 1967 expansion draft, he opted to retire as a player to concentrate solely on coaching. Things went according to plan in ’67-’68, with Guerin earning Coach of the Year honors and the Hawks finishing 56-26. ’68-’69, not so much, as a rash of early season injuries forced Guerin back into service. After the Hawks traded with the Sonics to reacquire his player rights, Guerin took the court for 27 games in ’68-’69, averaging a respectable 5.6 points and 3.7 assists. That was meant to be that until Walt Hazzard broke his wrist during a 1970 first round playoff series against the Lakers. A now 37-year-old Guerin started himself at shooting guard in game four of the series to replace Hazzard and put on a performance that even Kobe Bryant could respect. He finished with 31 points on 12-of-17 shooting in the final game of his career but in a losing effort, as the Lakers prevailed to finish the series in a sweep.

7) Jonathan Bender (2009)

Considered one of the biggest draft flops of all time, Bender was out of the league by age 25. Whenever the high school phenom and fifth overall pick’s brief NBA career seemed like it was finally showing some promise, Bender was waylaid by issues with his knees. After a diagnosis during the ’05-’06 season that his left knee had no remaining cartilage, Bender announced that he was stepping away, though he specifically avoided the word “retirement.” He returned to his hometown of Picayune, Mississippi to pursue his other passion, entrepreneurship. This led Bender to an innovative knee stabilization product, which he called the JB Intensive Trainer. Not only was Bender the inventor, he was also a client, citing the device’s effectiveness in allowing him to make a 2008 NBA comeback, signing with the Knicks. His first game back was a terrific story, with Bender subbing in during the fourth quarter against the Clippers and sparking an 18-point comeback win for New York. He played 25 total games that season, then stepped away again with an actual retirement this time.

8) Rasheed Wallace (2012)

Boston fans were torn over the 2009 signing of Wallace and his one season with the Celtics was, in turn, a roller coaster ride. The ’09-’10 regular season was an immense disappointment, as the notoriously fiery ‘Sheed seemed downright lethargic. He was also noticeably overweight and seemed to be a detriment to the team’s chemistry, one of its greatest assets in prior seasons. The 2010 playoffs were a completely different story, as Wallace’s intensity and experience were huge factors in the Celtics making an NBA Finals run as a #4 seed. Things then seemingly ended in a fitting manner for the combustible Wallace, who fouled out the Finals game seven loss to the Lakers, confronted the referees after the game, and subsequently retired in frustration. But much to the delight of beat writers and rubberneckers, but the disdain of referees, Wallace signed a contract for ’12-’13 with the perpetually dysfunctional Knicks. Things started much more fortuitously this time for both Wallace and the Knicks, but a foot injury shut down Wallace mid-season and ultimately forced him to retire once again.

9) George Mikan (1955)

Retiring in 1954 to join the Lakers front office was Mikan getting out at just the right time. The team had just won its fifth title in six years, securing themselves as the league’s first dynasty. Meanwhile, several NBA rule changes were being implemented specifically to hamper Mikan’s sovereignty over the paint, including the shot clock. The Lakers did just fine in Mikan’s absence in ’54-’55, reaching the Conference Finals behind new star center Clyde Lovellette. In other words, the Lakers didn’t need Mikan on the court and Mikan didn’t need to be there. Even his legendary coach John Kundla openly stated that the game was already “too fast” for Mikan now. But he went ahead and did it anyway, averaging 10.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game after joining the team midway through the ’55-’56 season. Seemingly innocuous, but it had startling long-term ramifications for the franchise. With their rebuilding plans disrupted by Mikan’s return, the Lakers fell into a prolonged slump for the remainder of the decade, which directly led to the team relocating to Los Angeles.