Grand Opening, Grand Closing: The 15 Most Shocking Sports Retirement Speeches

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Whether you’re a casual fan, life-long advocate or just a plain obsessed about all things sports, when your favorite player calls it quits it can be quite shocking. You remember what you were doing and where you were at when news broke about Sandy Koufax‘s abrupt withdrawal from the game of baseball. Or, even when Jim Brown decided to hang up his cleats.

As we get ready for another season of NFL football, pro athletes who walk away for good are lucky to keep their good years (and endorsement deals) on the up-and-up. To celebrate the love of the game, these are The 15 Most Shocking Retirement Speeches in sports history.

Photo: ESPN

Edge Retires From WWE Competition

Former heavyweight champion and Rated R superstar was forced to turn in his tights after being diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis. Without wanting to risk neck-down paralysis, or even death, the multiple-time champion officially relinquished the belt, retiring as the World Champion officially.

Michael Jordan Retires In ’93

Citing a loss of desire to “play the game,” the G.O.A.T. of the Hoops World sent shock waves throughout the league when he made his announcement. Later on, he admitted in his 1998 autobiography, For the Love of the Game that the murder of his father earlier in the year shaped his decision.

Wayne Gretzky Retires From The New York Rangers

Gretzky, as the season wound down, began to have the sports world speculate on his potential retirement, but The Great One refused to make the announcement. The day finally came on April 15, 1999 after a 2-2 tie with the Ottawa Senators, the Rangers’ second-to-last game of the season. Upon returning to New York, the then-38-year-old announced his retirement before the last Rangers’ game of the season.

Jerry Rice Says Goodbye To San Francisco

Deciding to retire rather than be at the bottom of any team’s depth chart, Rice signed a one-day contract for $1,985,906.49 that would allow him to officially retire as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. The cash compensation represented Rice’s legacy: 1985 was the year he was drafted, 80 was his jersey number, ’06 represented the year he was retiring, and the $0.49 was symbolic for the team he was retiring with.

John Elway Drives Off Into The Sunset

Only 38-years-old, Elway was regarded as one of the top quarterbacks to ever play pro football. But on May 2, 1999, after having one of the best winning percentages in league history (148-82-1), the instrument behind “The Drive” decided to hang up his cleats and pursue other avenues.

Brett Favre Retires After 17 Seasons

Notorious for leading people on a wild goose chase when it comes to retirement announcements, football fans learned just how “good things must come to an end,” when the Green Bay Packers QB announced his first of three retirements on March 4, 2008.

The Rock Says Goodbye To Wrestling

One of the greatest to ever enter into the squared circle, Dwayne Johnson became too big for the WWE. After beginning to make more infrequent guest appearances on television, The Rock announced his retirement through several interviews that pretty much summed up to him saying he was “no longer under contract to WWE.” He kept the name per a dual ownership deal between him and Vince McMahon.

The ‘Bad Boy of Tennis’ Hangs Up His Racket

Chronic injuries forced the game’s most charismatic player to hang up his racket. In his last match, Andre Agassi fell to 112th-ranked big-serving Benjamin Becker of Germany in four sets. He received a four-minute standing ovation from the crowd after the match and delivered a heartfelt retirement speech.

Barry Sanders Hangs Up His Cleats At 30

Only fellow legends Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith have rushed for more yards than Sanders. So, it came with stunned surprise when the Detroit Lions running-back announced that he was quitting pro football in July 1999. Even worst for specific fans of the team was to learn that he made his retirement public by faxing a letter to his hometown newspaper, The Wichita Eagle.

The Heartbreak Kid Wishes Wrestling A Fond Farewell

Supposedly wanting to go out like his friend and mentor Ric Flair, HBK had a match with The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI where if he lost he would be forced to retire. The Dead Man’s streak had yet to be blemished with a lost and, as a result of being caught mid-air and slammed with a Tombstone Piledriver, the Heartbreak Kid’s legacy was ended with a 1-2-3 count. The next night, on the March 29 episode of RAW, Michaels gave an emotional farewell speech, saying, “Shawn Michaels has left the building.”

Kirby Puckett Retires From Baseball

Clocking in with 1,000 hits in his first five full years in the MLB, and 2,000 hits during his first ten full years, Minnesota Twins center fielder Kirby Puckett was forced to retire at age 35 due to loss of vision in one eye from a central retinal vein occlusion. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, his first year of eligibility.

Lou Gehrig’s Retirement Made Grown Men Cry

After falling ill to cancer (that would be named after him), the New York Yankees announced that July 4, 1939 would be “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day” at Yankee Stadium. Dignitaries, members of the famed “Murderer’s Row,” and all of New York were in attendance, which The New York Times said was “perhaps as colorful and dramatic a pageant as ever was enacted on a baseball field.” His retirement was a heartfelt, sad and emotional moment in all of sports history.

The Bus Leaves The Building With A Ring

After defeating the Denver Broncos in his first appearance at the Super Bowl, Bettis announced, “It’s been an incredible ride. I played this game to win a championship. I’m a champion, and I think the Bus’s last stop is here in Detroit.” Thus, he officially announced his retirement standing on the champions’ podium, holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy. A dope way to go out if any!

Yao Ming Retires To The Upper Deck

The literal and figurative bridge between the NBA and the global community, Yao, whose injuries hindered his time in the league, announced his retirement from basketball in a press conference in Shanghai. His emotional speech sparked over 1.2 million comments on the Chinese social networking site Sina Weibo.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson Delivers A Shocking Retirement Speech

The sports world was dealt a life-altering blow after Magic Johnson learned that he had tested positive for the HIV virus. In a press conference held on November 7, 1991, his public announcement confirmed what a physical before the 1991-92 NBA season had discovered, and the legend said he would retire immediately. Fast forward to today, the business maven has continued to “battle this deadly disease,” and help bring awareness to safe sex practices.