LeBron James playing for the Philadelphia 76ers just sounds weird.
It’s odd to think of James in a Philly jersey when he’s become so associated with certain franchises. However, James decided to sign a two-year, $8-million deal with the 76ers, in what he called his “last decision.”
James heading to Philly isn’t the first person we’ve seen decide to finish their career in a new place, and he definitely won’t be the last.
When we look back over the history of the NBA, so many stars decided on different places to finish their illustrious careers for plenty of different reasons.
Other stars have notoriously not had the most success when they make a move like this, but it remains to be seen if the same will be said for James.
Here are five superstars who closed their playing careers in unexpected places:
Michael Jordan — Washington Wizards 2001-03
Stats with Wizards: 21.2 PPG, 4.4 APG, 5.9 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 43.1 FG%, 24.2 3P%
Michael Jordan didn’t finish his career with the Chicago Bulls, but plenty of Jordan fans probably choose to pretend he did finish up in the Windy City.
After 13 seasons with the Bulls and two retirements, Jordan decided to return to the court at 38 years old as a member of the Washington Wizards. A shocking move from the arguably greatest player of all time.
Jordan was a member of the Wizards’ front office during his second retirement and bought a minority stake in the franchise in January 2000. He had a goal of helping turn around a struggling franchise, but he was unable to do so from the office, so he decided to try to help the young roster on the court.
The five-time MVP returned to play and earned himself two all-star nods, but he was nowhere near the Jordan we remembered. Jordan wasn’t able to get the Wizards to the playoffs and posted some of the lowest averages of his career.
His shooting percentages also fell off a cliff in comparison to the efficiency he was known for. He shot 41.6 per cent in 2001-02 and 44.5 per cent in 2002-03.
With the ability not there anymore, Jordan entered retirement for a third and final time in 2003. His Wizards tenure will always be a short one that many may forget.
Allen Iverson — Memphis Grizzlies 2009-10
Stats with Grizzlies: 12.3 PPG, 3.7 APG, 1.3 RPG, 57.7 FG%, 100 3P%
After 12 years with the 76ers, Allen Iverson bounced around the NBA, playing for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and, lastly, the Memphis Grizzlies.
Iverson's tenure with the Grizzlies may be the most forgotten of any star on this list, as his time in Memphis lasted just three games.
The 2000-01 MVP was a dominant scorer on the 76ers, Nuggets and Pistons, but something just wasn’t right when he joined the Grizzlies. Iverson decided to sign as a free agent in 2009 to join an up-and-coming Memphis roster with Marc Gasol and Mike Conley.
With such a short run, we can look at those three games, which were all losses. Iverson came off the bench in all three road games, posting 11, 18, and eight points, respectively.
Two days after his third game, Iverson stepped away from the Grizzlies on a leave of absence and was waived a week later. He then took a brief retirement before returning to the 76ers for the final 25 games of his career.
Those three games may be remembered by none, but Iverson will always hold the honour of being the first Grizzly to ever be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, despite never playing a home game for the franchise.
Hakeem Olajuwon — Toronto Raptors 2001-02
Stats with Raptors: 7.1 PPG, 6 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 46.4 FG%
When the Houston Rockets decided it was time to rebuild their roster, Hakeem Olajuwon was not willing to stick around due to not wanting to take a pay cut.
So, after 17 seasons with the Rockets, Olajuwon requested a sign-and-trade and ended up in Toronto. The Raptors gave the 1984 No. 1 overall pick a three-year, $18-million deal ahead of his age-39 season, which was not exactly the best decision.
Olajuwon was already starting to slow down ahead of the trade, but on the Raptors, he became practically unplayable. His per-game averages in practically every major category were the worst of his illustrious career, and he eventually became relegated to a bench role.
He never surpassed 16 points in a game with the Raptors, and the defensive dominance he was known for was no longer there at his older age. It really became evident that the end was near for Olajuwon when he only appeared in five playoff games with the Raptors, and he didn’t get into a single game of the second round when they fell to the 76ers in seven games.
As a result of his struggles, Olajuwon called it a career after his first and only season in Toronto, despite his three-year deal. It's likely Olajuwon now wishes he had never left the Rockets, as those 61 games with the Raptors were some of the worst of his great NBA run.
Karl Malone — Los Angeles Lakers 2003-04
Stats with Lakers: 13.2 PPG, 3.9 APG, 8.7 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 48.3 FG%
Karl Malone desperately wanted a ring, and he was willing to do whatever was necessary to get one.
That’s why at 40 years old, he joined the Lakers to team up with Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. A team that, on paper, sounds unstoppable, but was evidently very much the opposite.
Malone struggled with a knee injury in his lone season in L.A. and managed to appear in just 42 games. He averaged a career low in points, and his issues carried into the post-season.
Across 21 playoff games, he averaged 11.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 45 per cent shooting. He also re-aggravated the same knee injury that kept him out during the regular season in Game 2 of the NBA Finals and was forced to sit out of the series-deciding Game 5 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
So despite all that star power, Malone still couldn’t get his ring, and due to a rumoured fallout with Kobe Bryant, he called it a career following the disappointing year.
Tracy McGrady — San Antonio Spurs 2012-13
Stats with Spurs: 0 PPG, 1.2 APG, 1.3 RPG (playoffs only)
Tracy McGrady had all the potential in the world, but injuries never allowed him to be as good as imagined.
Through his first 11 seasons in the NBA, McGrady seemed on the fast track to becoming an all-time great, but then everything quickly changed. Following the 2007-08 season, McGrady’s injuries began to pile up, and he didn’t have the same spark he once did.
He was a leader on the Raptors, Magic and Rockets, but after leaving Houston, he fell into bench roles and struggled to put up more than nine points a night. T-Mac spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Knicks, Pistons and Hawks before leaving the NBA to play overseas in China.
While a member of the Qingdao Eagles, McGrady showed flashes of his old self, averaging 25 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. With that success, he decided to go for one final run in the NBA, signing with the San Antonio Spurs ahead of the 2012-13 playoffs.
McGrady was unable to crack the Spurs’ rotation much and played in just six games en route to San Antonio’s Finals loss to the Miami Heat. It appeared to be McGrady’s final reach for NBA minutes and a championship, but he fell short once again.
Following those six contests, McGrady retired from the NBA at just 33 years old.
