Offseason after offseason, players are moved around the league either via trades or as free agents. However, there are a few moves that you could have forgotten happened because these superstars were not as impactful in the new team.
- 1. Michael Jordan
- 2. Karl Malone
- 3. Scottie Pippen
- 4. Hakeem Olajuwon
- 5. Patrick Ewing
- 6. Dwyane Wade
- 7. Tony Parker
- 8. Brandon Roy
- 9. Chris Mullin
- 10. Robert Parish
- 11. Dominique Wilkins
- 12. Gary Payton
- 13. Dave Cowens
- 14. George Gervin
- 15. John Starks
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NBA legends like Bill Russell and Larry Bird played their entire career in one team, posting incredible numbers and leaving legacies that might be unmatched for a long time. More recently, the likes of Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kobe Bryant, are players that played on one team throughout their career.
Several superstars have spent some time in other franchises but are not remembered for it, either because they made the move at the tail-end of their careers or their legacies with one organization are too overwhelming.
That said, here are fifteen superstars who you most likely forgot played for more than one team in no particular order.
1. Michael Jordan
To date, some people could argue that Michael Jordan did not play for any other franchise outside of the Chicago Bulls because it just sounds ridiculous. MJ was loyal to the Bulls and did all that he could to make the franchise a successful one. Of his 15-year career, he spent 13 of it with the Bulls, delivering six NBA championships from 1991-1998.
After the 1997-98 season, the Bulls opted to start a rebuild, and the band was broken up, with Jordan choosing to retire for the second time in his career. His Airness decided to come out of retirement in 2001 and signed a deal with the Washington Wizards. Although he made All-Star appearances in both seasons he spent with the Wizards, he failed to lead them to a playoff feature.
2. Karl Malone
Karl Malone was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz, and he played all but one year of his 19-year career with the team. In 2003, Malone opted to join the Los Angeles Lakers, with the hope of creating a superteam alongside Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Gary Payton. Although they reached the 2004 NBA Finals, they failed to win the title, losing to the Detroit Pistons in five games.
Malone is in the history books as one of the best basketball players to never win a championship. He made the playoffs in all nineteen seasons he played but does not have a ring to show for it. The closest he came was in 1997 and 1998, where his partnership with John Stockton led them to the NBA Finals. On both occasions, they lost to the Jordan-led Bulls.
3. Scottie Pippen
The famous Jordan sidekick joined the NBA three years after Jordan and played his rookie season as a rotation player. Shortly after, Scottie Pippen was promoted to the starting lineup and was the best Robin any Batman could have asked for. He played for the Bulls for 12 of his 15 years in the league, playing a crucial role in bringing six championships to the city. But it might be surprising to most that he played on another team without Jordan.
Pippen joined the Houston Rockets after the 1997-98 season to form a superteam with Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley. Unfortunately, that did not produce the expected result, leading to a first-round elimination in the 1999 playoffs. He moved on to the Portland Trail Blazers after that season but eventually returned to Chicago, where he retired at the ripe age of 38.
4. Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon is a Houston Rockets legend and will be fondly remembered for delivering two championships to the franchise. In 1994, he led the Rockets to an NBA championship after defeating Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks. The following year, he shut down one of the most dominant big men in league history, Shaquille O’Neal, and the Orlando Magic to win a second consecutive title.
After spending 17 years with the franchise, it was only fitting that he retired with the organization that selected him with the first overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft and where he spent the majority of his career. However, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year was traded for draft picks to the Toronto Raptors. He played one season with them before retiring in 2002.
5. Patrick Ewing
As far as franchise legends go, Patrick Ewing is ranked high for his 15-year run with the Knicks. He is easily the best player to have dorn a Knicks jersey in the history of the organization. Although he did not lead them to a championship, they reached the NBA Finals once in his era but lost the series to Olajuwon.
Unfortunately, his loyalty was repaid with betrayal, as the Knicks traded him with one year left in his contract. Big Pat would have loved to finish his career with the Knicks, but that was not the outcome. He was traded to the Seattle Supersonics in 2000, where he spent one season before moving to the Orlando Magic. One could easily forget his time with these franchises because he was at the tail-end of his career and was not as dominant.
6. Dwyane Wade
When you think of the Miami Heat, the first thought that comes to mind is the super team era where Dwyane Wade partnered with LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2010. However, Wade has been carrying the team long before the creation of the big three. He led the team to a championship over the Dallas Mavericks in 2006 with the help of O’Neal.
Despite his record-setting run with the Heat, Wade was unwilling to take further pay cuts and chose to leave. After the 2015-16 season, he moved around the league a bit before returning to the Heat, where he ended his career. Wade played for the Chicago Bulls throughout the 2016-17 season and attempted a reunion with LBJ in Cleveland the year after, but that did not last long. Before the end of the 2017-18 season, he returned to Miami, where he retired as the franchise’s best player.
7. Tony Parker
Tony Parker spent 18 seasons in the NBA, 17 of them with the San Antonio Spurs. The Italian was a major piece of the franchise’s identity, helping them to four NBA championships. Although Tim Duncan was the face of the organization, Parker was a significant contributor and was recognized for his efforts, winning the 2007 NBA Finals MVP award.
Parker was offered a bigger contract and chose to follow the money, which resulted in him playing his final season with the Charlotte Hornets. His time with the Hornets is not remembered by most, mainly because the four-time NBA champion failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in his career. Although it was a poor decision to not retire with the Spurs, his time in Charlotte would be a blur to many because he did not achieve much success there.
8. Brandon Roy
Injuries derailed Brandon Roy’s budding career, as the superstar sustained a career-ending knock after spending only five years in the NBA. He made three All-Star appearances in the first four years of his short career and was the man the Portland Trail Blazers were looking to build around.
Unfortunately, Roy had to retire early due to a degenerative knee condition. After missing action for a year, the 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year attempted a comeback but did not have much success. He signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 2012-13 season but featured in only five games before going back into retirement, permanently this time.
9. Chris Mullin
Stephen Curry is the rave of the Golden State Warriors right now, but before his time, Chris Mullin was the talk of the town. The 7th overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft spent 16 seasons in the NBA, 13 of which were with the Warriors.
Twelve years into his career, Mullin decided to join the Indiana Pacers, with reports stating that he requested the trade. For the first time in five years, he was injury-free and was ready to start a new chapter with the Pacers. Although he made a deeper run in the playoffs with the Pacers, the three years he spent with them were nothing compared to his achievements with the Warriors. The veteran swingman returned to Golden State in 2000 and retired shortly after.
10. Robert Parish
Robert Parish actually started his career with the Golden State Warriors, but the lack of success makes it insignificant. Of his 21-year NBA career, he spent 14 years with the Boston Celtics, and those are the years most fans will remember. His partnership with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Danny Ainge created the dynasty of the 1980s, which won three NBA titles.
In 1994, Parish joined the Charlotte Hornets but left after two seasons to join the Chicago Bulls. He was a rotation player and didn’t get much playing time, but he shared in the glory, winning his fourth ring before retiring at the ripe age of 43.
11. Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins was an elite athlete who was well known for his ability to dunk the ball. Although he won two NBA Slam Dunk contests, the two he lost against MJ were more noteworthy. It has hard to imagine a dunk that will better Jordan’s free-throw dunk.
That said, Wilkins was an Atlanta Hawks legend, and that’s where he had the most success as a player. He averaged over 25 points for ten consecutive seasons while he was with the Hawks and won a scoring title. The nine-time All-Star was traded to the LA Clippers midway through his 12th season and continued to move around the league before retiring in 1999.
12. Gary Payton
It is hard to envision Gary Payton wearing a uniform that wasn’t the dark green of the Seattle Supersonics. But his search for a championship saw him play for four other teams in five years. Although he led the Supersonics to an NBA Finals in 1996, they did not stand a chance against the 72-10 Bulls.
Payton played for the Lakers and reached the Finals in 2004 but lost to the Detroit Pistons. He joined Paul Pierce and the Celtics the following season but did not make it past the first round of the 2005 playoffs. The defensive juggernaut finally got his wish after joining Wade and O’Neal in Miami. Despite bouncing around the league late in his career, he played his best basketball in Seattle, and that’s how he would be remembered by most – a Supersonics legend.
13. Dave Cowens
Dave Cowens and Co. were charged with keeping the flag flying for the Celtics, who won nine championships in the 1960s. Although the team did not have nearly as many Hall of Famers on the roster, he successfully led them to two NBA championships in the 1970s.
Cowens played for the C’s for ten years before choosing to retire from professional basketball. However, he returned to action two seasons later and played in only 40 games for the Milwaukee Bucks. He finished the season averaging 8.1 points and 6.9 rebounds.
14. George Gervin
George Gervin started his basketball career in the ABA playing for the Virginia Squires but played the bulk of his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs. The lanky, athletic forward was a four-time scoring champ in the nine years he spent with the Spurs.
Now, this might come as a surprise, but Gervin played for the Bulls in his final season as an NBA player. He featured in all 82 games for the Bulls but was not as prolific scoring the basket as he once was. After his one-year stint with the Bulls, he went international, playing in the Italian professional league.
15. John Starks
John Starks went undrafted in 1988 but was signed by the Golden State Warriors in free agency. He featured in only 36 games as his rookie season was cut short due to an injury. After recovery and playing in other professional leagues in what would have been his official sophomore season, he returned to the NBA as a member of the New York Knicks. Although he was a rotation player for the best part of his career, he was effective on both ends of the floor when called upon.
Starks won the 1997 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in his time with the Knicks, and also made an All-Star appearance. He returned to the Warriors as a starter after an eight-year run with the Knicks but did not have as much impact. After spending a season and a half in San Francisco, he featured in four games for the Bulls before playing his final two seasons with the Jazz.
