Calling it Quits?

In 2008, Game unexpectedly announced during a House of Blues New Year’s Eve performance with Nas and will.i.am that he would be retiring and that L.A.X. would be his last album. Ultimately, Game was back in the, well, game. But the 31-year-old rapper wasn’t the only one that had faux retirement plans; check out our short round up some of the most famous “retirements.”

Michael Jordan

The former Tar Heel, six-time MVP and NBA star had a total of three retirements. In 1993, Jordan left basketball for what seemed like greener pastures. He cited the death of his father and a lack of passion for the game as reasons for his retirement. Greener pastures did come for Jordan, in the form of a baseball field. After signing a minor league contract for a stint with the Chicago White Sox, Jordan returned to the NBA in 1995. In 1999, Jordan retired once more only to return the next year as part owner and president of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards. While he swore he would never play again, Jordan returned in 2001 inspired by the Wizards. Two years later, he retired for the last time with full tributes paid from the NBA.

Brett Favre

The NFL quarterback is known for retirement waffling, so known that even he joked about it in a TV commercial. In 2005, Favre was rumored to retire but announced plans to stay with the Green Bay Packers through the next year. Following a game against arch-rival Bears in the season finale, Favre was given a standing ovation seconds before a Packer victory as a sign of respect. Minutes after the game Favre said he was unclear of his future, which turns out was still in NFL. In 2008, he formally announced his retirement citing that another Super Bowl victory would be slim and he wasn’t up for the challenge—that he didn’t want to play anymore, and it had nothing to do with the Packers. Favre returned to the NFL later that year to play with the New York Jets. The next year, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings and announced his retirement in 2010, again. We’re detecting a pattern here . . .

Jay-Z

Perhaps the most dramatic faux retirement ever announced was Jay-Z’s in 2003 following the release of The Black Album. The rapper (and sometimes actor) held a concert at Madison Square Garden, which later became the focus of his film Fade to Black. This “retirement party” featured former collaborators like The Roots, Missy Elliott and Beyoncé with special appearances by the mothers of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac. He even ended his rivalry with Nas, sealing the deal with a dual performance. What followed were more collaborations, more concerts and a comeback album. “It was the worst retirement in history,” Jay-Z told Entertainment Weekly upon his return in 2006. (Lynn Lieu)