25 Pics of Past and Present Superstars Together
There’s a very interesting dichotomy in sports.
On one hand, it’s very much a "What have you done for me lately?" world, in which there are far more celebrated entrances than exits. On the other hand, as soon as we push athletes out the door, it seems we immediately become nostalgic for them.
People tend to romanticize the past, sometimes remembering it a bit better than it was. Whether or not a given time or era is actually better than another is, of course, debatable. But the value superstar athletes of the past add to the present is not.
Seeing the past and present come together—whether in a friendly embrace or painfully awkward handshake—is almost always a sight worth seeing. Here are 25 photo of past and present superstars together.
25. Terry Bradshaw and Matt Ryan
1 of 26
Date: January 2013
Event: 49ers vs. Falcons
Hall of Fame Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who now works as a broadcaster for FOX Sports, speaking to Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, looking unusually animated, ahead of the NFC Championship.
24. Nolan Ryan and Mariano Rivera
2 of 26
Date: July 2013
Event: Yankees vs. Rangers
Future Hall of Fame Yankees relief pitcher Mariano Rivera greets current Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who was then the Rangers CEO, on the field in Arlington prior to a game.
23. Joe Namath and Tim Tebow
3 of 26
Date: February 2012
Event: NFL Honors Show
Hall of Fame Jets quarterback Joe Namath chats with Tim Tebow at the NFL Honors show ahead of Super Bowl XLVI. One month later, the Broncos would trade Tebow to the Jets.
22. Bobby Orr and Current Bruins
4 of 26
Date: October 2011
Event: Flyers vs. Bruins
Beloved Boston great Bobby Orr meets and greets current Bruins players ahead of their season opener against Philadelphia.
21. John McEnroe and Rory McIlroy
5 of 26
Date: June 2011
Event: Wimbledon
Former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe chats up an amused Rory McIlroy. The Irish golfer had just become a certified sensation, having recently won the U.S. Open by an epic eight shots. Andy Murray is seen in the background.
20. Deion Sanders and Maurice Jones-Drew
6 of 26
Date: December 2013
Event: Texans vs. Jaguars
After an abysmal start to the season, the Jaguars came on strong in the second half of the year, including a Thursday night win over the Texans in early December. Jags running back Maurice Jones-Drew was interviewed by the NFL Network crew, including Deion Sanders, following the game.
19. Archie Manning and Johnny Manziel
7 of 26
Date: May 2013
Event: Manning Award Ceremony
From one SEC quarterback great to another, Ole Miss legend Archie Manning presents the Manning Award, which honors the nation’s top college quarterback, to Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel.
18. Shaquille O’Neal and Ben McLemore
8 of 26
Date: February 2014
Event: NBA All Star Saturday
NBA great Shaquille O’Neal sits, on what can only be described as a throne, as the Kings' Ben McLemore sails overhead during the All Star skills competition.
17. Reggie Jackson and Jacoby Ellsbury
9 of 26
Date: March 2014
Event: Spring Training
Yankees great Reggie Jackson, a special adviser to the team, talks with Jacoby Ellsbury, who was acquired via free agency over the offseason, prior to an exhibition game in Tampa, FL.
16. Michael Irvin and Andrew Luck
10 of 26
Date: November 2013
Event: Colts vs. Titans
Hall of Fame Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin, now a member of the NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football broadcasting crew, reaches out to Colts quarterback Andrew Luck after a win last fall.
15. Wayne Gretzky and Dustin Johnson
11 of 26
Date: February 2014
Event: AT&T Pebble Peach Pro-Am
NHL legend Wayne Gretzky is greeted by his professional partner, Dustin Johnson, on the 18th green. Of course, it wasn’t the first time these two had met. Johnson is actually engaged to Gretzky’s eldest daughter, Paulina.
14. Andre Agassi and Andy Murray
12 of 26
Date: January 2013
Event: Australian Open
American tennis legend Andre Agassi does his best to congratulate (or console) Scotland’s Andy Murray, holding his second-place platter thing after losing in the final to Novak Djokovic. Murray looks less than thrilled to be there.
13. Jerry Rice and Colin Kaepernick
13 of 26
Date: December 2013
Event: Rams vs. 49ers
Hall of Fame 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice talks with current Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick prior to a late-season divisional matchup against the Rams.
12. Patrick Ewing and Dwight Howard
14 of 26
Date: May 2009
Event: Magic vs. Cavaliers
Hall of Fame great Patrick Ewing, who used to work as an assistant coach in Orlando, talks to former Magic big man Dwight Howard ahead of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Ewing is now a coach with the Bobcats and Howard plays for the Rockets.
11. Mike Ditka and Ricky Williams
15 of 26
Date: April 1999
Event: Post-Draft Press Conference
Former Saints coach and Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka poses with running back Ricky Williams after Williams was drafted by New Orleans. Ditka, inexplicably decked out in a dreadlocks wig, (also) inexplicably traded away all of the team’s picks that year—not to mention their first and third picks in 2000—to secure Williams.
10. Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps
16 of 26
Date: November 2007
Event: Golden Goggle Awards
Olympic swimming greats Mark Spitz, Michael Phelps and Matt Biondi pose for a photo together outside the USA Swimming Foundation’s Golden Goggle Awards, held in Beverly Hills.
9. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Brittney Griner
17 of 26
Date: May 2013
Event: Practice Session, US Airways Center
Hall of Fame NBA living legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar compares hand sizes with Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, who was drafted No. 1 overall out of Baylor in 2013.
8. Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers
18 of 26
Date: February 2013
Event: NFL Honors Show
Former Packers teammates Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers share a very awkward-looking handshake on stage at the second annual NFL Honors show ahead of Super Bowl XLVII.
7. Cecil Fielder and Prince Fielder
19 of 26
Date: June 2002
Event: Brewers vs. Astros
Future All-Star Prince Fielder, who was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 MLB Draft, talks with another famed power hitter ahead of a game against the Astros, his father Cecil Fielder.
6. Joe Montana and Peyton Manning
20 of 26
Date: February 2012
Event: Celebrity Beach Bowl
Niners Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana participates in the Celebrity Beach Bowl ahead of Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. Nearby is Peyton Manning, then with the Colts, who missed that entire season recovering from neck surgery.
5. Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby
21 of 26
Date: July 2010
Event: Winter Classic Press Conference
Former Penguins great Mario Lemieux and current Pens great Sidney Crosby are photographed together at a press conference announcing that the 2011 NHL Winter Classic game would be played at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
4. Carl Yastrzemski and David Ortiz
22 of 26
Date: September 2013
Event: Blue Jays vs. Red Sox
Two beloved Red Sox embrace on the field at Fenway Park. Hall of Fame great Carl Yastrzemski looks ridiculously (and adorably) happy to be on the receiving end of a bear hug from current Boston slugger David Ortiz.
3. Deion Sanders and J.J. Watt
23 of 26
Date: January 2014
Event: NFL Pro Bowl Draft
Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders shares an adorable moment on stage with Texans defensive end J.J. Watt after Sanders drafted him to compete on his team in Honolulu.
2. Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods
24 of 26
Date: June 2012
Event: Memorial Golf Tournament
Golf greats, past and present, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are all smiles on the course after Woods won the Memorial Golf Tournament. The event takes place at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, OH, which was designed and founded by Nicklaus.
1. Julius Erving and LeBron James
25 of 26
Date: April 2004
Event: NBA Rookie of the Year Award Presentation
Hall of Fame great Julius “Dr. J.” Erving, at the NBA Store in New York, presents the NBA Rookie of the Year Award to the Cavaliers' LeBron James.
Bonus: Julius Erving and Allen Iverson
26 of 26
Date: November 2005
Event: 76ers vs. Bucks
Though Allen Iverson recently had his number retired by the 76ers, it’s still hard for most basketball fans to believe it’s been four years since he last played in the NBA. Here he is hugging another Sixers great, Julius Erving, before the season opener in 2005.
Since Iverson is now officially retired, this photo of him and Dr. J may not fit the title of the slideshow, but I liked it too much to exclude it. My apologies to all you rule sticklers out there who find that offensive.
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