Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, and 5 other sports legends who retired twice ft. NBA's Magic Johnson and George Mikan

NFL legend Tom Brady has announced his second and most likely his last retirement. The NBA has seen a number of former players return from retirement to make an unexpected splash in the league.

Of course, Brady is not the only athlete who has retired twice, or even more than that. This obviously includes Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, who won the championship six times. We look at five other players who have done the same.

NBA players who retired twice

#5. Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson was one of the best point guards the NBA ever saw. However, his basketball career was abruptly interrupted when a medical test before the 1991-92 season revealed that he had contracted HIV.

Despite the shock of this news, Johnson initially continued to play and even participated in the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. He helped lead them to a gold medal. However, his hopes of returning to the league were quickly crushed after a fateful on-court incident.

During an exhibition game in October 1992 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Johnson suffered a cut to his arm. This caused fear and concern among the other players. This moment, coupled with lingering fear and lack of knowledge surrounding HIV, led Johnson to announce his second retirement in early November 1992.

#4. George Mikan

Often said to be the first big man to truly revolutionize the game, George Mikan won the NBA title four times with the Minneapolis Lakers. He had his jersey retired by the LA Lakers just last year. He passed away in 2005 due to complications from chronic diabetes.

Mikan's contributions to the sport were recognized with his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959. He was also named to the 25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th NBA anniversary teams. Mikan retired for a season back in 1954 but surprised the NBA by returning for a season for the 1955-56 campaign.

#3. Bob Cousy

Bob Cousy is a six-time NBA champion and one of the biggest reasons behind the Boston Celtics’ dominance during the 1950's. He is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time. He won the NBA MVP award in 1957, was a 13 time All-Star, and also enjoyed a successful career as a coach.

Cousy returned to the NBA for the Cincinnati Royals six seasons after his initial retirement in 1963. He played an average of 4.9 minutes in seven games and quickly retired again.

#2. Rasheed Wallace

At the age of 35, Rasheed Wallace retired from the sport as a Boston Celtics player back in 2010. But just two years later, he returned, signing for the New York Knicks for a season.

Throughout the 2012-13 season, Wallace appeared in 21 games and averaged 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, providing a defensive presence off the bench. However, his season was cut short due to a foot surgery that kept him out for most of the year. He played his last game for the New York Knicks against the Charlotte Bobcats, but after getting hurt again, he announced his retirement.

#1. Brandon Roy

Brandon Roy’s case was rather stereotypical. As a 22-year old rookie for the Portland Trail Blazers, he averaged 16.8 points per game and continued to improve year after year. In his third season in 2008-09, he breached the 20 ppg mark for the first time and followed it up with another one.

However, Roy had consistent injury troubles and a bad knee, which meant that he was always going to retire early. He retired after an injury-ridden 2010-11 season and then attempted a return to the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012-13. Needless to say, it did not work out.

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