1) David Robinson, Spurs, 2003
On the final day of the ’02-’03 NBA regular season, hoopla surrounded a major legend making his final appearance on the court. That player was Michael Jordan, who was embarking on his third and final retirement after his Wizards were blown out by the 76ers to finish the season out of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Robinson’s Spurs had just clinched the top seed in the West and would eventually cruise through the postseason to a championship. It was the second title for Robinson in his 14th season and though the Spurs would win three more championships with Tim Duncan, this was the end of an era for the franchise. When Robinson joined the team in ’89-’90, they made an instant turnaround from 21 wins to 56 and missed the playoffs just once in the star center’s career. He had a relatively quiet final series, averaging just 10.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the breezy NBA Finals victory over the Nets, passing the torch to Duncan for the next decade-plus.
2) Robert Parish, Bulls, 1997
Following a 14-year run with the Celtics that included nine All-Star appearances, five NBA Finals trips, and three championships, then a relatively uneventful two-year stint with the Hornets (save for his breaking the games played record), Parish signed with the Bulls in 1996 at age 43. He didn’t provide much on the court in what would turn out to be his final season, appearing in just nine total minutes in two playoff games but he was a steady, stoic elder presence on a veteran but tumultuous team. Parish supposedly even once stood up to Michael Jordan himself during a practice, even though the superstar was a full decade younger than him. The “Chief,” who credited his longevity to his offseason martial arts training, finally retired that August, closing out his career as the oldest player ever to earn a championship ring.
3) Bill Bridges, Warriors, 1975
An All-Star power forward who averaged a double-double for an entire decade in his prime, Bridges reached the Conference Finals six times in his first nine seasons with the Hawks but never as far as the NBA Finals. That changed late in his career as he became a journeyman, going from the Hawks to the 76ers to the Lakers to the Warriors in his final four seasons. With the Lakers in ’72-’73, Bridges came off the bench as the team reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Knicks. Los Angeles then waived Bridges early in the ’74-’75 season but he made a comeback a couple months later as a defensive specialist for the Warriors. While Rick Barry put up the big stats and Jamaal Wilkes, Clifford Ray, and others gained respect as a great supporting cast, Bridges still contributed with his defense at age 35, especially against Chicago’s Bob Love in the Conference Finals. Golden State eventually upset the Bullets in the NBA Finals, allowing Bridges to step away as a champion.
4) Juwan Howard, Heat, 2013
As the Heat made their seemingly inevitable march to consecutive titles in 2012 and 2013, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, even the most cynical fan had to at least be happy for Howard. In 2012, at age 39, Howard barely appeared in the postseason for Miami, averaging 2.7 minutes in nine games, all of it in garbage time. But he became the first and only member of the Michigan “Fab Five” to earn an NBA championship, finishing off what his former superstar teammates Jalen Rose and Chris Webber were unable to accomplish. Howard played even less for the Heat in ’12-’13, getting left off the postseason roster altogether, but earned a second championship ring all the same before officially retiring to join the team’s coaching staff.
5) George Mikan, Lakers, 1954
6) Bob Cousy, Celtics, 1962
7) Michael Jordan, Bulls, 1998
Aside from being all-time legends who won numerous NBA championships, these three have one more key distinction in common: all of them retired as champs before making an ill-fated comeback years later. Mikan led the Lakers to a fifth championship in a six-year stretch in 1954 (and the one year they didn’t win, in 1951, was only because he broke his hand during the Conference Finals) but was no longer the league’s dominant force, in large part because of new rules added specifically to slow him down. Sensing the game passing him by, he opted to retired in 1954 as a champion, just shy of his 30th birthday, but was coaxed back in ’55-’56. His return was an unmitigated disaster, not just in individual performance but also in disrupting the chemistry of a rebuilding Lakers team and he retired again in 1956 after an early playoff exit. Cousy stepped aside in 1963 right after earning his sixth title ring with the Celtics. He had announced his retirement ahead of the ’62-’63 campaign and the Celtics faithful sent him out with a tearful ceremony at the end of the regular season. After the season ended he took a coaching job with Boston College for six seasons then eventually wound up coaching the Cincinnati Royals. With the team struggling and ticket sales flagging during the ’69-’70, Cousy made the retrospectively embarrassing decision to take the floor for seven games as a player-coach at age 41. As for Jordan, his story is well-tread territory, from his infamous “The Shot” ending the 1998 NBA Finals with his sixth championship, followed by a second retirement and then a second comeback in 2001 with the Wizards. Washington failed to even reach the playoffs in either of their two seasons with Jordan on the floor and the living legend stepped down again, this time permanently.
8) Sam Cassell, Celtics, 2008
Cassell is one of only two players on this list who bookended their careers with championships in their rookie and final seasons, and the other is the legendary Bill Russell. Unlike Russell, who completely remade the Celtics in his image as a rookie, Cassell was more of a role player in his first season but he was still a difference maker, coming off the bench as a sixth man for the ’93-’94 Rockets. His role grew in ’94-’95, when Cassell was fourth on the Rockets in playoff scoring as the team won a second consecutive championship. He ended up playing for seven other franchises in his 15-year career and for many more good-to-great teams, including Conference Finals trips with the Bucks in 2001 and the Timberwolves in 2004. But Cassell wouldn’t reach the NBA Finals again until ’07-’08, when he signed as a free agent late in the season with the Celtics, who wanted a veteran point guard to back up Rajon Rondo. Cassell averaged just 4.5 points and 1.7 assists per game in the 2008 postseason but his veteran presence was crucial and when the Celtics won the title, he retired at age 38 as a three-time champion.
9) Glenn Robinson, Spurs, 2005
After years of playoff misses or early exits, Robinson and the Bucks finally made a prolonged run in 2001, reaching the Conference Finals and losing in seven tight games. But the team’s two biggest stars, Robinson and Ray Allen, were reportedly feuding in the locker room over who was to blame for the postseason loss to Philadelphia. They missed the playoffs altogether in ’01-’02 and Robinson was subsequently traded to the lowly Hawks. This was the beginning of the end of his career, as injuries left him a shell of his former All-Star self going forward. He was over a year removed from his last NBA action when the Spurs signed him in March of 2005 to plug in some holes left by injuries in their rotation. Robinson played limited minutes but did appear in 13 playoff games as San Antonio won the third title of the Tim Duncan era. Interestingly, all of the “Big Three” on those ’00-’01 Bucks went on to win titles soon after with other teams, with Cassell and Allen eventually earning it with the Celtics in 2008.
Bad taste in their mouth: 12 notable players who retired following an NBA Finals loss
| Karl Malone: Signing with the Lakers in 2003 must have felt like a sure bet to bring Malone an elusive title, but instead he ended his career watching from the bench with a knee injury as the Pistons finished off the NBA Finals in game five | |
| Wilt Chamberlain: The ultimate stat stuffer but with just two titles to his name, Chamberlain’s final performance was a fitting one, logging 23 points and 21 rebounds but shooting just 5-of-14 from the free throw line in the Lakers’ 1973 Finals game five loss | |
| Oscar Robertson: Having played 58 total minutes just two nights before in a double overtime Bucks win, the then 34-year-old Robertson looked worn out in the winner-take-all game seven, contributing just six points on 2-of-13 shooting as the Celtics prevailed | |
| Udonis Haslem: In a career spanning decades and spent entirely with the Heat, Haslem was part of all six NBA Finals that Miami has played in, including 2023, when he officially became the oldest player in NBA Finals history (at age 42) with a brief appearance during the Heat’s loss to the Nuggets | |
| Rik Smits: One of six members of the ’99-’00 Pacers who made their NBA Finals debut at age 30 or higher, the then 33-year-old Smits announced his retirement after Indiana’s six game loss to the Lakers, finishing a 12-year career spent entirely with the franchise | |
| Tracy McGrady: Out of everyone on this list, McGrady was actually the closest to retiring as a champ, but the late season Spurs signee had his heart ripped out by Ray Allen and the Heat in 2013 NBA Finals; it was the first and only Finals appearance for McGrady | |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Trying to become the first team to “three-peat” since the mid ’60s Celtics, the ’88-’89 Lakers were additionally motivated to send out Abdul-Jabbar as a winner; postseason injuries to Magic Johnson and Byron Scott doomed them to a Finals sweep at the hands of the Pistons | |
| Vern Mikkelsen: Bridging the gap between the George Mikan and Elgin Baylor eras of Lakers history, Mikkelsen won four titles in his first five NBA seasons and played in the Finals one last time in 1959, averaging 21.0 points and 12.3 rebounds as the overmatched Lakers were swept by the Celtics | |
| Ray Allen: Looking to shake up a series that was quickly slipping away, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra inserted Allen into the starting lineup for game five of the 2014 NBA Finals; but the then 38-year-old veteran shot just 1-of-8 from the floor in a blowout loss to the Spurs that closed out the series and his career | |
| Steve Mix: After tough NBA Finals losses with the 76ers in 1977, 1980, and 1982, Mix joined the enemy, signing with the Lakers on the eve of the 1983 playoffs only to be on the Finals losing end again, and this time against his former teammates | |
| Magic Johnson: No one knew it at the time as his HIV retirement announcement was months away, but in what was ostensibly Johnson’s last game, he extended his NBA record for Finals triple-doubles to eight, finishing with 16 points, 20 assists, and 11 rebounds in a Lakers loss to the Bulls | |
| Bill Walton: After years of injuries, controversies, and frustrations, Walton had one last season in the sun with the Celtics in ’85-’86, earning a second championship ring; less memorable was ’86-’87, when lingering foot issues limited him to 22 total games and Boston lost to the Lakers in the Finals |
10) David West, Warriors, 2018
Hard-nosed, undersized, and thoughtful, West was a celebrated player amongst NBA die hards throughout the ’00s and ’10s. His first 12 seasons came with overachieving mid-market teams in the Hornets and Pacers but West shifted into journeyman mode for contenders late in his career. After a stint with the Spurs ended with a Conference Semifinals loss in 2016, he signed with the Warriors just two days after they acquired Kevin Durant. No longer a starting power forward caliber player, he instead logged his minutes as an undersized (he was listed at 6’9″ but likely even shorter) backup center, earning championships in 2017 and 2018 before announcing his retirement. Similar to Juwan Howard with the Heat a few years earlier, West was a rare bright spot for many fans who were otherwise fatigued by the Warriors’ championship death marches.
11) Ron Harper, Lakers, 2001
His career is an interesting one, which can be vivisected right down the middle. Harper started as a phenom and potential franchise savior with the Cavaliers and Clippers until a major knee injury hampered his athleticism. Thus, his secondary career started as an effective, oversized point guard role player for championship teams in Chicago and Los Angeles. Of course, the other connecting sinew between the late ’90s Bulls and early ’00s Lakers was Phil Jackson, who loved deploying tall, defensive-minded point guards in his triangle offense. Harper was the perfect cog for that system, and though his stats suffered (he averaged just 7.6 points per game in his final seven seasons), he earned five championship rings along the way. Late in the ’00-’01 season, he gave way in the Lakers’ starting lineup to Derek Fisher and retired after the season content that the team was set up for the future without him.
12) Peja Stojakovic, Mavericks, 2011
Struggling with neck and back injuries, the then 33-year-old Stojakovic scarcely hit the court for Dallas in the first few months of the ’10-’11 season and seemed like a long shot to even make the postseason roster. He came on strong down the stretch, with his trademark long range accuracy proving valuable for the Mavericks in the playoffs. This was especially true in a second round victory over his old foils the Lakers, who had defeated Stojakovic’s Kings in a controversial 2002 Conference Finals. The Croatian sharpshooter played light minutes in the NBA Finals but earned a championship ring as the Mavs upset the Heat. Though he was supposedly fielding several offers from contenders when the 2011 lockout was lifted, Stojakovic opted to hang it up. It ended a pro career that started at age 14 in his native Yugoslavia and also included a FIBA World Cup title with his national team in 2002.
13) Mo Williams, Cavaliers, 2016
Traded from the Bucks to the Cavaliers in the summer of 2008, Williams felt instant pressure to develop as a long-term second scoring option alongside LeBron James. Sure enough, he became the only Cavs player besides James to make an All-Star appearance between 2005 and 2010 (doing so in 2009) but he also struggled in some big playoff games, especially defensively, and became something of a scapegoat when James departed for the Heat. Williams was eventually traded to the Clippers and made additional stops in Utah, Portland, Minnesota, and Charlotte before returning to the Cavaliers in 2015, signing as a free agent just a few days after James’ dramatic return. No longer an offensive spark plug at age 33, Williams still proved effective for Cleveland in the ’15-’16 season, even filling in for stretches as the starting point guard when Kyrie Irving was dealing with injuries. After the Cavs won the championship, stunning the Warriors in the NBA Finals, Williams intended to return for one last season in ’16-’17 but chose to retire instead when the Cavs drafted a point guard.
14) Steve Kerr, Spurs, 2003
Playing for title contenders was just a way of life for Kerr. It started in his rookie season with the Suns, who reached the 1989 Western Conference Finals (though Kerr was left off the postseason roster), then followed in later stints with the Cavaliers (reached the 1992 Eastern Conference Finals), Bulls (won three consecutive championships, starting in 1996), and Spurs (champs in 1999 and 2003). He was never a star player by any standard but Kerr was respected for his shooting, defense, leadership, and occasional clutch performances. The most famous example was game six of the 1997 NBA Finals, when Kerr hit the series-clinching shot but in his final season, 2003, he also had an opportune scoring streak in a critical game, hitting four consecutive three-pointers in game six of the Conference Finals to put away the Mavericks. Not only is Kerr on the short list you’re reading now, he’s also one of just four players in NBA history to win multiple titles with multiple teams (along with Robert Horry and Bulls teammates Dennis Rodman and Ron Harper) and one of six to win back-to-back titles with two different teams.
15) Mitch Richmond, Lakers, 2002
As the clock ran out in game four of the 2002 NBA Finals and the Lakers finished off a sweep of the Nets, it was Richmond, who logged just four total minutes in that postseason, dribbling the ball to close out the game. It was a triumphant end to a glorious but frustrating career, wherein Richmond had made just one playoff appearance in his previous 10 seasons with the star-crossed Kings and Wizards, despite averaging 20+ points per game nine times and being named to six All-Star teams. Unlike Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who made flashy but unfulfilling attempts at ring chasing with Los Angeles in ’03-’04, Richmond’s parlay at age 36 paid off and he closed out his Hall of Fame career as a champion.
16) Bill Russell, Celtics, 1969
17) Sam Jones, Celtics, 1969
’68-’69 was a real grind for Russell, who was playing in his 13th season at 35 years old, acting as player-coach, playing through a leg injury, and mentally worn down by the tumultuous political events of the era, e.g., the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Jones was also 35 at the time and was struggling through injuries and exhaustion in his 12th season with the Celtics. Though neither legend announced their retirement before the season or during, the writing was certainly on the wall and seemed to motivate the Celtics in the postseason. After struggling down the stretch of the regular season to enter the playoffs as the #4 seed in the East (out of four teams), Boston pulled off consecutive upsets of the 76ers, Knicks, and Lakers to clinch the 11th and final championship of Russell’s career. About two months later, both Russell and Jones officially retired, signaling the end of the NBA’s greatest dynasty and a new era in the sport. Despite their accolades on the court, both had middling relationships with the largely racist Celtics fanbase and mostly avoided the typical fanfare of other retired legends.
Next up in Retirements and Comebacks
Second acts: 22 franchise legends who ended their career with a brief stop on an unfamiliar team
Nothing to show for it: 20 notable players who were teammates with Magic Johnson or Larry Bird but didn’t win a title
Heavy was the crown: Eight especially weak NBA title defenses
Highlight package: Nine most significant games of Kobe Bryant’s NBA career
Line of succession: 20 NCAA coaches who replaced departing legends
Allow me to reintroduce myself: Nine NBA players (besides Michael Jordan) who came back from retirement
One and done: 17 greatest players who spent just one season in the NBA
Over the hill and on the court: 31 NBA players who stayed active into their 40s
Adding insult: 14 NBA players who suffered unusual off-court injuries
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss: 22 NBA coaches who had multiple stints with the same franchise
Loyal foot soldiers: 10 role players who spent their entire NBA career with one team
