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Tom Brady and Michael Jordan share a few similarities in their careers in the NFL and the NBA. They are considered to be one of, if not the greatest, to play football and basketball, respectively.
One striking similarity between the two was their retirements that supposedly ended their GOAT-worthy careers. Brady announced he was done with football a year ago today, while Jordan declared his after winning his first three-peat in 1993.
MJ had a brief stint with the Birmingham Barons, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago Red Sox. While he remained in Windy City, he fielded balls instead of hooping. For the first time in a really long while, “His Airness” wasn’t the best player on his team.
Michael Jordan played roughly 1 ½ seasons with the Barons before giving up baseball for good to return to the Chicago Bulls in 1995. Jordan played just 17 regular-season games before helping the Bulls to yet another postseason appearance.
Chicago, however, was eliminated in the semifinals by the Orlando Magic, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway. That Orlando Magic team held the distinction of being the last team to beat MJ’s Bulls in a playoff series.
“His Airness” came back with a vengeance in 1995-96. With a full training camp, pre-season and the addition of Dennis Rodman, the Bulls roared to a 72-10 campaign. They dispatched the Seattle SuperSonics in the finals to cap off arguably the greatest season in NBA history.
Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to two more titles for his second three-peat in the late '90s. He went unbeaten in six NBA Finals appearances, winning MVP in each of those championship rounds. Following “The Last Dance,” Jordan retired for the second time.
Tom Brady, on the other hand, didn’t have Jordan’s stop-and-go career. “TB12” played 17 straight seasons for the New England Patriots before emotionally announcing his retirement. He was already a six-time Super Bowl champ when he decided to call it quits for the first time.
Brady also didn’t last that long away from his sport like Jordan. The five-time Super Bowl MVP retired for 40 days before announcing he wasn’t quite ready yet to leave football behind.
Unlike Michael Jordan, though, he didn’t resume his career with the same team that drafted him in 2001. He returned to the NFL as the quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tom Brady breaks tie with Michael Jordan for head-to-head championship counts with a 7th Super Bowl win
Tom Brady probably wanted to prove to himself and his doubters that he could win the NFL's biggest award outside of the shadows of Bill Belichick. In his first season with the Bucs, he won his 7th and last Super Bowl, surpassing Michael Jordan’s six NBA championships.
Jordan wanted to scratch an itch three years after his last title with the Bulls by announcing his return to the NBA in 2001. This time, and like Brady, he went to another team, the Washington Wizards. The Wizards didn’t make the playoffs in Jordan’s last two years in the NBA.
Unlike Michael Jordan, Tom Brady’s stint in Tampa Bay saw them reach at least the Wild Card round in each of those years.
Brady just announced that he’s retiring for good. If he shocks the world with another return, that’ll make another uncanny similarity to Jordan’s career.
Guess the Lakers players!
