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 another list of potential comebacks that would’ve been fun to play with in video games.

Seeing as how this is the fifth Friday Five article looking at comebacks that would’ve been fun to play with in video games, I’ve already covered some of the most notable examples. From prominent players whose attempts to make it back to the league came up short, to Legends who were close to donning another uniform before opting to stay retired, to vague interest that ultimately didn’t amount to anything, there have been some fascinating stories of comebacks that could’ve been fun to see in real life, and a blast to play with on the virtual hardwood as well.

For Part 5, I’m doing something a little different. These are still comebacks that were at the very least rumoured or hinted at – I’m not just making up fictional examples – and they’d make for fun scenarios in video games. However, they’re not as serious as the previous stories. When it comes to these potential comebacks, it’s more a case of them being fanciful thoughts by the players in question, or there’s not much evidence that a return was ever truly close to being a reality. Indeed, in one case, it’s extremely clear that it wasn’t actually happening! Nevertheless, it’s still entertaining to look back and wonder What If, and perhaps even customise rosters to set up these scenarios.

1. Steve Francis: Considering Comebacks Until 2016

Unlike most of the comebacks that I’ve covered so far, there wasn’t any buzz about Steve Francis returning to the NBA following his brief and unsuccessful reunion stint with the Houston Rockets. The quadriceps surgery that saw him miss most of the 2008 season still sidelined him come the 2009 campaign, in which he was ironically traded to the Grizzlies; the team that originally drafted him, and ended up having to send him to Houston. He never played for them before being released in January, but it wasn’t quite the end of his professional basketball career as in 2010, Francis played 14 minutes over four games for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Beijing Ducks.

With that in mind, it was surprising – indeed, astonishing – when an interview with SLAM in 2016 revealed that Stevie Franchise apparently hadn’t completely shut the door on a comeback until that year’s All-Star Weekend! Granted, it wasn’t something that he was actively pursuing, but more a feeling that he could still go if he wanted to. That’s certainly questionable, but I suppose you don’t make it to the NBA if you don’t have that kind of confidence in yourself! It might’ve been a more realistic scenario in the early 2010s – health permitting – but even if he did return and it was a flop, that needn’t be the case in video games, where his presence would’ve been most welcome.

2. Stephon Marbury: Coming Back for the Fans (2017)

Speaking of former All-Star point guards who left the NBA in the late 2000s, ended up playing in China, and were still considering a comeback in the 2010s, Stephon Marbury was also open to returning to the league at an advanced age. Starbury had a far more successful run in the CBA than Francis did, winning championships and becoming a very popular player during his nine years in China. However, when he parted ways with the Beijing Ducks in 2017, he expressed an interest in finishing his career with one last stint in the NBA. In a now-deleted post on Instagram, Marbury confirmed his intentions, stating that it was for the fans who wanted to see him play.

In all fairness, I can’t definitively state that absolutely no one had any interest at all in seeing Stephon Marbury in the NBA in 2017. Unlike Francis, he’d been playing pro ball since leaving the NBA, and I’d suggest that some people would’ve at least been curious to see how it worked out; me included. I doubt that there was widespread interest from fans, though! More importantly, there didn’t appear to be any interest from NBA teams. Considering that Marbury could’ve had the longest absence before a comeback in NBA history, it would’ve been fascinating to watch, even if it turned out to be an utter disaster. It would’ve been worth it to have him back in video games, too.

3. Walt Frazier: New York Knicks (1997)

How committed were the New York Knicks to toppling the defending champion Chicago Bulls in 1997? In addition to signing Allan Houston and Chris Childs, and trading for Larry Johnson, the Knicks looked to a club legend with championship experience: Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Despite being 52 and retired for some 17 years at that point, the two-time champion and seven-time All-Star held his own when he joined in a team practice. Although it was only supposed to be for fun, it was clear that Clyde still had something left in the tank. This set the wheels in motion, and on April 1st, Frazier signed on to replace a miffed Scott Brooks on the Knicks’ roster.

If you weren’t already familiar with this tall tale, then that date undoubtedly set off some alarm bells! Frazier’s surprising comeback with the Knicks in 1997 was in fact a memorable April Fool’s Day prank cooked up by his MSG Network colleagues. It was fun to see him back in uniform, though. Had the comeback been real, it was obviously too late for him to appear in any 1997 season video games. He might’ve still been on their roster in 1998 titles though, which would’ve been a treat. Part of me wouldn’t mind seeing Legends return to play once-off games – even if it’s just in garbage time – but by the same token, they deserve better than being reduced to a gimmick like that.

4. Same Bowie: If MJ Can Do It… (2001)

When Michael Jordan was considering coming back to play for the Wizards in 2001, ESPN.com covered the ongoing saga with the “Return-o-Meter“. In addition to being a section to aggregate all of the news regarding MJ’s potential return to the NBA, the aforementioned meter represented the likelihood of it happening in the opinion of ESPN’s analysts. As stories broke, the meter swung back and forth between “99% No”, “Don’t Count On It”, “50-50”, “Stay Tuned”, and “I’m Back”, where it still rests today. With the announcement that MJ would be suiting up again, ESPN turned their attention to the player that was drafted immediately before him in 1984: Sam Bowie.

Citing “anonymous sources”, ESPN reported that Bowie was likewise eyeing a return. They also included “quotes” from “friends” hyping his conditioning and noting that he didn’t suffer any rib injuries, nor cut his hand while snipping a cigar. Of course, along with a Bowie Return-o-Meter – set to “Stay Tuned” – it was all a gag by ESPN’s Page 2. Bowie returning to the NBA after six years would’ve been a novelty though, not to mention interesting trivia for video games to capture. Incidentally, this gag and a few contemporary articles about MJ’s return demonstrate that contrary to popular belief, the media were far less kind to him than they are certain players today. Just saying!

(And, on the subject of comebacks for Michael Jordan…)

5. Michael Jordan: I’m Back, Part 3 (2004)

Back in the very first instalment in this series, I mentioned Jalen Rose’s prediction that Michael Jordan would make a comeback for the Bobcats at the age of 50, if only for a single game. It was a wild prediction that was presumably tongue-in-cheek and just to get people talking, though it wouldn’t be the first time that Jalen Rose was confidently incorrect! Moreover, His Airness had made a couple of comebacks by that point, with his second return making him a familiar face in a strange place. To that end, it could be argued that there was a precedent here. While that didn’t happen, it turns out that there was another potential comeback for MJ that has largely flown under the radar.

Well, that’s if you believe Andre Iguodala, anyway! During a Twitch stream with Kai Cenat, Iggy recalled playing against His Airness in scrimmages that were supposedly gauging the possibility of a comeback in 2004; a year removed from his last year with the Wizards. Now, considering that this has never been widely reported, it’s possible that Iggy is embellishing a story while recounting how he had indeed shared the court with both Michael Jordan and LeBron James. If it’s true though, I’d say it’s for the best that MJ stayed retired. Mind you, if he had returned one more time, then we could’ve had him in NBA Live 2005 and ESPN NBA 2K5, and that would’ve been awesome.

Do you remember these potential comebacks, practical jokes, and other weird stories and possible tall tales regarding NBA returns? Can you recall any other examples that would’ve been fun to play with in basketball games? Have your say 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.

The post The Friday Five: 5 Comebacks That Would’ve Been Fun To Play With (Part 5) appeared first on NLSC.