Lebron is making a big hoopla for returning to Cleveland, but he’s not the only high profile player to return to his original team.
Below are other superstars who left their original team for whatever reason, only to return later.
Below we analyze two points:
- Why and at what point in their careers these players left and returned.
- Their effectiveness as players before they left and after they returned.
Allen Iverson
Why and when he left: Trade, 11th season
Why and when he returned: Free agency, 14 season
Stats the season before leaving: 31.2ppg, 2.7rpg, 7.3apg, 2.2spg
Stats the season following return: 13.9ppg, 3.0rpg, 4.1apg, .7spg
Elvin Hayes
Why and when he left: Trade, following 4th season
Why and when he returned: Trade, 14th season
Stats the season before leaving: 25.2 ppg, 14.6rpg, 3.3apg
Stats the season following return: 16.1ppg, 9.1rpg, 1.8apg
Chris Webber
Why and when he left: Trade, following 1st season
Why and when he returned: Free Agency, 15th season
Stats the season before leaving: 17.5ppg, 9.1rpg, 3.6apg, 2.2bpg
Stats the season following return: 3.9ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.0apg, .7bpg
Steve Nash
Why and when he left: Trade, following 2nd season
Why and when he returned: Free agency, 9th season
Stats the season before leaving: 9.1ppg, 2.1rpg, 3.4apg, .8spg
Stats the season following return: 15.5ppg, 3.3rpg, 11.5apg, 1.0spg
Lebron James
Why and when he left: Free agency, following 7th season
Why and when he returned: Free agency, 12 season
Stats the season before leaving: 29.7ppg, 7.3rpg, 8.6apg, 1.6spg, 1.0bpg
Stats the season following return: ????
