10 NBA Legends Who Played Their Last Games Wearing the Oddest Uniforms

In a league like the NBA, it's not uncommon to see players actually remain loyal to their franchise.

Legends like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson both stuck with their teams from beginning to end while current stars like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade plan to stick with the same teams that they have been playing for since their inception in the league.

You don't find loyalty in sports today with the amount of money that is being thrown around, but there are some players who surprise you by trading in the cash for the love and adoration of their local fans.

Yet sometimes there are some moves from NBA legends that could just baffle you. After spending over 15 years with the one team that drafted them, they'll wander off in quest for a change of scenery or to go ring chasing, which is a practice that is becoming more popular than ever before.

Rather than ending their careers on high notes with the teams that they have built from the ground up, they'd rather take a chance in a different location to prolong their career.

Most of the time, this doesn't work and you're about to see quite a few prime examples of that.

Instead of going out in the twilight of their careers, some of these players were willing to sit on the bench in a foreign location for the chance to take home a championship, make some money that their former team wasn't willing to offer them, or just because of a case of bad luck when their organization decided to send them away.

Here are 10 players who ended their careers in places we never expected them to end up and some that we wish just would have quit while they were ahead.

If you think there are any players who ended their careers in places that you would have rather not seen them end up, feel free to add. We're always open to suggestions.

Robert Parish on The...Chicago Bulls?

After starting out his career with the Golden State Warriors, Robert Parish was then traded to the Boston Celtics, where he would make a name for himself as the center on one of NBA history's top front courts.

Paired with Kevin McHale and Larry Bird, Parish was the anchor on defense, averaging better than a block per game for all but one of the 14 seasons that he played with the Celtics. He also averaged a double-double for eight seasons with the Celtics, averaging as much as 19 points and 13 rebounds in different seasons.

Parish assisted the Celtics in becoming one of the league's most dominant teams during the 1980's with three championships between 1981 and 1986 and re-creating the storied rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers that was originally established in the 1960s.

He would play with the Celtics until he was 40 years old and would still average 12 points and seven boards per in his final season with the team.

Rather than ending his storied career on a high note, Parish decided to take his talents elsewhere by first joining the expansion Charlotte Hornets as the team's back-up center behind Alonzo Mourning.

He'd spend two lousy seasons there before making his final stop at the NBA level as a member of the Chicago Bulls. He was on the 1996-'97 team that won 69 games and came equipped with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman as its core.

That team would win its second consecutive championship with Parish hardly making any sort of significant contribution.

Parish only played in 43 games, started three, and averaged nine minutes of playing time a night.

Patrick Ewing on The...Orlando Magic?

If you think that picture's weird, take a look where Patrick Ewing went in between stops in New York and with the Orlando Magic.

Ewing was the face of the New York Knicks franchise from the moment he was drafted No. 1 overall by the team in the 1985 draft until his final year with the team in 2000. He averaged better than 20 points per game every season between 1985 and 1998, averaged a double-double for nine consecutive seasons, and was one of the league's most dominant centers at all aspects.

He was also key behind the Knicks two championship runs during the 1990's. Ewing led the Knicks to the 1994 championship series where they would push the Houston Rockets to the brink before falling in seven games. and in 1999, when he helped lead the team to the Finals as an eighth seed, the first time in NBA history that an eighth seed has made it to the Finals. His Knicks would lose in five games to the San Antonio Spurs, however.

By the end of his tenure with the Knicks, injuries started piling up and Ewing's numbers dropped significantly. He had only played in 126 games over his last three years with the Knicks, but still managed to average 15 points and a little under 10 boards per in his final year with the team.

It was disappointing to see Ewing walk away from the NBA without a title, but he became one of the most respected players to ever walk onto a court as well as being a sure-fire Hall of Famer.

If only it ended like that, because Ewing didn't retire as a member of the team that he stuck with for over 15 years. Instead, he was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics, where he would be the starting center, averaging only 10 points and seven boards.

It only got uglier from there, as Ewing would sign with the Orlando Magic the very next season. He only started in four games, averaged 14 minutes of playing time a night, and posted up only six points and four boards in the one season he spent there.

Moses Malone on The...San Antonio Spurs?

My apologies for the quality of the picture that comes with this slide, but this is the only known picture of Moses Malone wearing anything San Antonio Spurs related on the Internets.

Unlike most superstars, Malone wasn't the type of player who stuck with one team throughout his career with maybe one or two more teams obtaining him when he was well out of his prime.

He joined the NBA in 1976 after two seasons in the ABA and would spend the first six years of his career at the NBA level with the Houston Rockets. Those six years would be the longest tenure Malone would spend with any team, as he would play with five more teams.

Malone then spent four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he would win his only title in 1983 alongside Julius Erving and Mo Cheeks. The center would then play two seasons with the Washington Bullets, three with the Atlanta Hawks, two with the Milwaukee Bucks, one more stint with the 76ers, and then his final stop in San Antonio, which was grotesque for a player of his standards.

After averaging better than 31 points per game and winning six rebounding titles, Malone was just a shell of that player in his final years.

His short time with the Spurs was by far his worst, as he only played in 17 games while averaging under nine minutes of playing time per night. Malone averaged three points on 37 percent shooting from the field to go along with three boards.

Malone should have ended his career in 1992 with the Bucks when he was still producing at an effective rate. The last three years of his career should be recognized as afterthoughts that should never be spoken of again.

Dominique Wilkins on The...Orlando Magic?

The face of the Atlanta Hawks franchise from the moment he was drafted in 1982 until his final year with the team in 1994, Dominique Wilkins was the main reason behind the team's success in the late-1980s and early-1990s.

The Hawks had five seasons of 50 wins or more with Wilkins on the team that came complete with two Central Division championships, two seasons of 57 wins, and and four trips to the Conference semifinals.

Wilkins could never lead the Hawks further than the second round, but he brought the team the most amount of success they had seen since they were located in St. Louis and Bob Pettit was still playing.

Wilkins established his reputation as a prolific scorer as soon as his third year with the Hawks, when he averaged 27 points per game and then 30 the next season when he won his first and only scoring championship.

He would average 29 the year after and a career high of 31 the following season before seeing his offensive production diminish. Wilkins would come back with two more strong outings of 28 and 29 points per game in his final years with the Hawks.

'Nique was traded in the middle of the 1993-'94 season to the Los Angeles Clippers, along with a first-round pick for Danny Manning. Wilkins would score at a significant rate for someone who had turned 34 earlier in the year, as he averaged 29 points per game in the 25 games he spent there.

It was at about this point that Wilkins' career took a turn in a strange direction. He would play with the Boston Celtics the next season before taking off for the 1995-'96 campaign.

He would then make his triumphant return with the San Antonio Spurs, where he would go on to average 18 points and six boards per despite being 37 years old.

Wilkins would then finish off his career with the Orlando Magic at the end of the 1998-'99 season. He only played in 27 games and averaged five points and three boards before calling it quits once and for all.

Hakeem Olajuwon on The...Toronto Raptors?

I have nothing against the Toronto Raptors franchise whatsoever, but you have to agree with me when I say that the picture that accompanies this slide is an absolute travesty.

After giving the Houston Rockets the best 17 years that they'll ever have, the organization responded by trading Hakeem Olajuwon North of the Border to the league's lone Canadian franchise in Toronto.

Olajuwon was traded to the Raptors for a first-round pick that turned out being Bostjan Nachbar and a second-round pick that wound up being Tito Maddox.

In the years he spent with the Rockets, Olajuwon established himself as the league's top post player. He was a prolific scorer who could score anywhere in the post thanks to a number of elusive post moves that could free him up for easy scores as well as a mid-range game that extended as far out as 15 feet.

He was an outstanding rebounder, winning two rebound crowns and averaging as much as 14 boards in the 1989-'90 season, and was mostly known for his defense, which was noted as the best among centers.

Olajuwon had quick enough feet to keep up with faster guards and forwards who attempted to get close to the rim, but was also strong enough to keep the bigger power forwards and centers at bay. He won consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards, led the league in blocks for three seasons, and nearly averaged as much as five blocks.

Yet the Rockets tossed him aside in search of a brighter future with new players. Olajuwon spent one dismal season with the Raptors, playing in only 61 games and only averaging seven points and six rebounds.

He did manage to keep his streak of averaging at least a block and a half per game, which remained constant for the 18 years that Olajuwon commanded the paint.

Rick Barry on The...Houston Rockets?

Capturing America's heart with his unique free-throw shooting form and 1860s-era racism, Rick Barry was one of the league's top shooters during his time in the NBA and ABA.

Barry spent his time in the ABA in Washington, Oakland and New York, but he was most remembered in his time with the Golden State Warriors.

He was drafted by the team when they were located in San Francisco in 1965 and promptly won a deserving Rookie of the Year after averaging 26 points and 11 boards per game.

He would one-up himself the very next season by winning the scoring crown after averaging nearly 36 points. This was an impressive feat for a sophomore who had to compete against prolific scorers in Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor, but Barry managed to capture the scoring title in only his second season.

Barry would then spend the next four seasons in the ABA before returning back home to play with the Golden State Warriors. He would average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game for four consecutive seasons while also posting as many as 31 points per contest.

He and Nate Thurmond led the Warriors to a number of postseasons with a championship over the heavily favored Washington Bullets in 1975.

Rather than ending his career at 33 years old with the Warriors while still averaging over 20 points per game, Barry decided to head on over to the Houston Rockets to finish his career.

He would spend two uneventful seasons there, averaging no more than 14 points per before fizzling out and retiring as a 35-year-old at the end of the 1979-'80 campaign.

Shaquille O'Neal on The...Boston Celtics?

We might as well put Shaquille O'Neal since 2007 on this list, because the big man traveled across the country in hopes of obtaining a fifth title.

Spanning 15 years and three teams, O'Neal was the league's most dominant post presence next to Hakeem Olajuwon. However, where Olajuwon would use finesse for his scores, O'Neal would just dominate with his size.

At 7'1" and clocking in at 300-plus sometimes, O'Neal had the size to back anyone down and the power to throw it down.

Along with his size, Shaq also had the footwork to help him reign supreme as the league's most dominant player.

O'Neal won Rookie of the Year after averaging 23 points and 14 rebounds and would only pick up the pace from there, as he would lead the Orlando Magic to their first championship appearance in franchise history.

Shaq would have four productive seasons with the Magic before taking an offer he couldn't refuse courtesy of the Los Angeles Lakers. It was in Los Angeles that O'Neal would become the unstoppable force that we remember him as.

He and Kobe Bryant would lead the Lakers to three consecutive championships, with O'Neal winning Finals MVP in each championship. He'd then depart for the Miami Heat after a public feud with Bryant that spanned over a couple seasons.

O'Neal would win a championship with Dwyane Wade and the Heat in his second year with the team before departing two seasons later.

From there, it got ugly. O'Neal would have one solid season with the Phoenix Suns before merely becoming nothing more than a sidekick and a sideshow on the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics most recently.

He only played in 37 games in his final season and failed to average over 10 points per for the first time in his nearly 20-year career.

Karl Malone on The...Los Angeles Lakers?

I don't think I could blame Karl Malone for this one. I'd reduce myself to a role player and join an easy championship contender if I had the chance to also.

Especially if I had spent the first 18 years of my career attempting to get a title that Michael Jordan just wouldn't let me have one time.

Malone was drafted by the Utah Jazz in 1985 and brought immediate success, as the Jazz began racking up 50-win seasons on a yearly basis.

Paired with point guard John Stockton, Malone was the team's offensive leader thanks to his mid-range game, post work, and athleticism.

He was nearly impossible to defend in the post thanks to his size and quick footwork, and it led to him averaging as much as 31 points and over 20 points for 17 consecutive seasons.

Even at the age of 39, Malone was averaging better than 20 points and was still leading the Jazz into the postseason. In fact, the Jazz didn't miss out on the postseason until the year he departed.

He led the Jazz to five Conference Finals in the 1990's and has two Finals appearances to show for it, with both of them coming against Michael Jordan in consecutive seasons.

Malone did all he could to support the Jazz in both series, but it just wasn't enough against those determined Bulls squads, as the Jazz lost both series in six games.

Malone then went on a go-for-broke mission to win a title by joining the rival Los Angeles Lakers for his final season. He was listed as starting power forward for the 19th consecutive season and would join a powerhouse team that appeared to have won it all before the season even started on paper.

Despite being paired up with legends in Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers would falter in the Finals and could get nothing going against the defensive-minded Detroit Pistons, who would defeat Malone and the Lakers in only five games.

Gary Payton on The...Miami Heat?

In the 1990s, there was no point guard to be more fearful of than Gary Payton.

Not because of how he'd score on you at will in a game's biggest moments, but because of his lockdown defense.

In 1996, Payton would become the first guard to win the Defensive Player of the Year award since Michael Jordan took it home in 1988. The year Payton won would also be the last time that a guard has taken home the prestigious award.

He also made it on to nine All-Defensive First teams.

Aside from his ability to score, dish out assists, and defend better than any point guard in the game's history, Payton was a leader above all and he led the Seattle Supersonics to the post season year after year in the 1990's and the early part of the 2000's.

He and Shawn Kemp formed one of the league's most volatile duos, and it paid off with an NBA Finals appearance in 1996 against the heavily favored Chicago Bulls.

Unfortunately for Payton and the Sonics, they would lose in six games, with no surprises other than the fact that they actually won a game.

Payton would lead the Sonics to two more Semifinals, but would never get to the level that he achieved in 1996. With no championship to his name, Payton would spend time in some locations that we never thought we'd see him.

He was traded mid-season in 2003 to the Milwaukee Bucks and would spend only that half season with the team before jetting for the stacked Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers would get upset and it then seemed that Payton might never get his title after being traded to the Boston Celtics.

He'd spend a season there before jumping on the Miami Heat bandwagon where Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade were forming a dynasty of their own. Payton played the role of back-up for the first time in his career and it paid off with a championship in 2006, his final NBA season.

Michael Jordan on The...Washington Wizards?

Well, this is a little bit awkward.

The last person anyone expected to play for a different team somehow found his way from Chicago all the way to a struggling Washington Wizards franchise.

Michael Jordan had played 13 seasons with the Bulls that came complete with six championships, six Finals MVP's, five MVP's, Rookie of the Year, and a Defensive Player of the Year award to top it off.

Jordan had made a name for himself with the Bulls, and he turned the franchise into a dynasty that no team in the NBA could handle.

In the 1990's, there was no team in the NBA that could legitimately compete with Jordan and the Bulls. Once the team won in 1991 against the Los Angeles Lakers, it broke the mold of the team's first three-peat where they would go on to beat the Portland Trail Blazers the year after and the Phoenix Suns for the third championship, a series where Jordan averaged an absurd 41 points in six games.

Following Jordan's year and a half retirement, the Bulls would return with a vengeance that included a 72-10 season and a championship against the Seattle Supersonics in MJ's first full year back.

The Bulls would then go on to beat the Utah Jazz for two more titles to compete the second three-peat. Had Jordan not retired, the Bulls could have very well gone on to win eight consecutive championships.

We thought that this retirement was once and for all. It couldn't have ended in a better way as well with Jordan hitting the game-winner in game six of the 1998 NBA Finals in what was supposed to be his last NBA game.

It was a storybook end to a storybook career for Jordan as he ended his career as the greatest player of all time.

But then Jordan decided to take his talents elsewhere once he came out of retirement for a second time. Rather than going back to the Bulls, Jordan joined the team for which he was at the head of the front office in the Washington Wizards.

Jordan was still performing well as a 38-year-old averaging 23 points in his second to last season and 20 in his final season, but we could tell that it just wasn't the same Jordan that we came to know and love on the court. His shooting percentage was low, and his offensive production wasn't up to Jordan standards.

He did manage to make the Wizards somewhat relevant, leading them to 37-45 after finishing a league worst 17-65 the previous year.

Overall though, seeing Jordan in a jersey that didn't say Chicago, USA, or All-Star on it was one of the strangest sights. It was the equivalent to seeing Magic Johnson in a Memphis Grizzlies uniform or Larry Bird in an Atlanta Hawks jersey.