Welcome to another edition of The Friday Five! Every Friday I cover a topic related to basketball gaming, either as a list of five items, or a Top 5 countdown. The topics for these lists and countdowns include everything from fun facts and recollections to commentary and critique. This week’s Five is a list of derailed comebacks for NBA players that would’ve been fun to play with in games, had they come to fruition.

We’ve seen some noteworthy comebacks take place in the NBA over the years. Two of the most famous NBA comebacks are Michael Jordan – twice, in fact – and Magic Johnson. A number of other players have likewise returned to action after years away from the NBA, though not all of them were retired for that duration. Nevertheless, whenever there are rumours that a former star is contemplating a return, it grabs our attention. Will it happen? Where will they sign? How much do they have left in the tank? And yes, how will it impact their team in video games?

Even before these comebacks are official, we can speculate and play out scenarios on the virtual hardwood. We can also create our own fictional “What Ifs”. My cousin and I had Larry Bird make a brief but shocking return to the Houston Rockets in our NBA Live 95 PC Season. Bringing Shawn Kemp out of retirement for one last run in my NBA Live 06 PC Dynasty really made the experience. However, there are some real almost-comebacks that likewise present us with some intriguing “What If” scenarios to dabble with in video games. Some of them would’ve required a bit of prep work in the form of modding, while others were quite easy to set up using the default assets.

1. Scottie Pippen: Spurs, Heat, Cavaliers, or Lakers (2007)

While he’s historically been one of my all-time favourite players, I’ll admit that I’ve cooled on Scottie Pippen since he decided to spout garbage to sell a book. He is still among the greatest players in NBA history – though he may rank lower than he claims to – and was instrumental in the Chicago Bulls’ six titles in the 90s. After stints with the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, he actually returned to the Bulls for what was essentially a farewell tour. Pip was extremely banged up by that point, and only played 23 generally unremarkable games in the 2004 season. It was originally a two year contract, but he was cut early in the 2005 season, before playing any games.

Although Pip played his final NBA game on February 2nd 2004, he was entertaining the idea of making a comeback as late as 2007. At the time, he was still working out in preparation to return, expressing a preference to join a top contender. The Lakers were also an option, as his former coach Phil Jackson was back in Los Angeles after stepping down following the 2004 NBA Finals. Pippen seemed determined to make a comeback, to the point where I considered adding him to the Free Agents Pool in my NBA Live 07 PC roster updates, just in case. While it didn’t happen, it’d be fun to add him to the 2007 Spurs, Heat, Cavaliers, or Lakers, and play out what could’ve been.

2. Karl Malone: San Antonio Spurs (2005)

I remember being adamant that Karl Malone and Gary Payton wouldn’t join the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2003 offseason. The idea of two players bound for the Hall of Fame passing up big paydays just to chase a ring seemed ridiculous. Or, you know, maybe not! Things didn’t quite go to plan, of course. The 2004 Lakers are a fantastic video game squad, but in reality, age, injuries, and chemistry made them vulnerable to a gritty, underdog Pistons team. The Glove was traded to the Celtics in the offseason, while The Mailman underwent knee surgery. Although he wasn’t ready to call it quits, a clash with Kobe Bryant ruled out the possibility of Malone returning to the Lakers.

Instead, he expressed interest in joining the San Antonio Spurs. For their part, the Spurs were also interested in The Mailman. They ultimately didn’t sign him though, and Malone announced his retirement in February 2005. As for the Spurs, they went on to defeat the defending champion Pistons for their third title in seven seasons. It could’ve been a poetic ending for Malone, finally getting a ring against the team that had defeated him the previous year, in a series he couldn’t finish due to sustaining a second knee injury. Even though he was past his prime, I imagine Malone would’ve made a formidable duo with Tim Duncan. They would’ve been fun to play with, too.

3. Reggie Miller: Boston Celtics (2007)

Speaking of Hall of Fame players joining a different team in search of finally winning a championship, Reggie Miller had an opportunity to do that in 2007, but ultimately opted to remain retired. The Boston Celtics, who had acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen during that offseason, were interested in adding Miller as another shooter they could bring off the bench. Reggie had retired in 2005 and was already working as an analyst for TNT, but was “flattered” by the Celtics’ interest, and not immediately opposed to making a comeback. Despite feeling he could physically still go, Miller decided that he was mentally done with playing in the NBA, and declined the offer.

As such, he missed out on winning a ring with the Celtics in 2008, but I know that his decision pleased Indiana Pacers fans. We had an extremely passionate Pacers fan in the NLSC Forum at that time, and he wasn’t keen on seeing Miller in Celtics Green. I knew exactly how he felt, having watched Michael Jordan playing for the Washington Wizards for two seasons just a few years prior. When reports of Miller’s talks with the Celtics surfaced, there was consideration as to whether he should be added to the Free Agents Pool in NBA Live 08’s rosters, and I believe a few modders did do it for fun. It certainly would’ve made the Celtics even more formidable in video games that year.

4. Allan Houston: New York Knicks (2007 & 2008)

This is perhaps the most interesting example on the list, despite the fact that Allan Houston isn’t as big of a name as other players who have mulled comebacks. That’s because this comeback was very close to happening, and also involved the team that Houston had last played for: the New York Knicks. Injuries brought an abrupt end to Allan Houston’s career, and his sizeable contract gave the nickname “Allan Houston Rule” to the amnesty clause, though the Knicks didn’t actually use it to cut him as he ended up retiring anyway. It clearly wasn’t the curtain call that Houston wanted, and so over the next few years, he twice sought to make comebacks with the Knicks.

In a way, you could say that he technically succeeded in making those comebacks, even though he never played another game outside of the preseason. After all, he did actually ink contracts with the Knicks and was on their roster once again. After a six minute appearance in a 2007 preseason game, Houston’s comeback ended when he decided that his late decision to join the Knicks was poor timing. He signed on again in 2008 for another attempt and planned to wear #14 in honour of his father, but this time was cut without seeing any preseason action. That latter stint actually added him to the rosters in NBA Live 09, and he’s also in the Free Agents Pool in NBA Live 10.

5. Michael Jordan’s Predicted Comebacks With Charlotte (2000 & 2013-2014)

Let’s finish with a couple of comebacks that were mere speculation. Obviously, MJ is one of the most famous examples of players who made comebacks, and both times there was significant buzz leading up to the announcement. What you may not recall is that there were a couple of unsubstantiated claims that His Airness was mulling a return to the NBA on other occasions that proved false. Prior to the 2014 season, Jalen Rose predicted that Michael Jordan would play a single game for the Bobcats. He’d once teased playing at 50 – an age he’d just reached – and there was a precedent for him coming out of retirement to play for a team he owned. Thus, it gained traction.

I’m not sure if Jalen Rose actually believed his own prediction. Given that Jordan would’ve needed to relinquish his majority ownership of the Bobcats, and had also expressed some regrets over his Wizards stint, it was highly unlikely. Rose likely just threw that out for attention and entertainment value. Of course, it wasn’t actually the first time there was speculation that MJ might play for Charlotte. I can’t find any articles that reference it now, but before he bought a stake in the Wizards, there was talk that Michael Jordan might buy into or even play for the original Hornets circa 1999. Again, if you want to play out that “What If”, video games make it possible.

Do you remember these comebacks that almost happened, or in the case of the last example, the rumours and speculation? What other comebacks would you have liked to have seen? Have you ever made any fictional ones happen in your seasons and franchise mode games? Let me know in the comments, and as always, feel free to take the discussion to the NLSC Forum! That’s all for this week, so thanks for checking in, have a great weekend, and please join me again next Friday for another Five.