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Together again
Gretzky and Messier in New York. Durant and Harden in Brooklyn. Messi and Neymar in Paris. Ramos and Navas back at Sevilla 17 years later. The teammates who split up and found each other again, from every roster in five sports.
By Austin · October 17, 2026
Most teammates split up and never play together again. Some do. We went through every pair of teammates in five sports for the ones who parted, spent at least a season on different teams, and ended up on the same roster again: traded back, signed as free agents, or chasing one last title together.
| Sport | Teammate pairs | Reunited | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | 1,585,858 | 35,420 | 2.2% |
| Basketball | 160,944 | 3,856 | 2.4% |
| Football | 2,067,685 | 23,669 | 1.1% |
| Hockey | 531,090 | 13,438 | 2.5% |
| Soccer | 1,398,272 | 19,795 | 1.4% |
Baseball
Tony Gwynn and Rickey Henderson shared the Padres outfield in 1996 and 1997, and Henderson came back to San Diego for 2001, Gwynn's last season; he got his 3,000th hit on the day Gwynn played his final game. Eddie Murray was traded back to Baltimore in 1996, seven seasons after he'd left, and hit his 500th home run as Cal Ripken's teammate again. Joe Morgan and Tony Perez of the Big Red Machine found each other on the 1983 Phillies, the "Wheeze Kids" who won the pennant. The longest wait belongs to Jim O'Rourke and Dan Brouthers, Buffalo teammates in the early 1880s, who were together again on the 1904 Giants, 19 seasons later, each in for a game or two.
Famous reunions
| Teammates | Together |
|---|---|
| Tony Gwynn and Rickey Henderson | San Diego Padres 1996 to 1997San Diego Padres 2001 |
| Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst | St. Louis Cardinals 1946 to 1956St. Louis Cardinals 1961 to 1963 |
| Enos Slaughter and Red Schoendienst | St. Louis Cardinals 1946 to 1953Milwaukee Braves 1959 |
| Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray | Baltimore Orioles 1981 to 1988Baltimore Orioles 1996 |
| Enos Slaughter and Joe Medwick | St. Louis Cardinals 1938 to 1940St. Louis Cardinals 1947 to 1948 |
| Joe Morgan and Tony Perez | Cincinnati Reds 1972 to 1976Philadelphia Phillies 1983 |
| Cal Ripken and Harold Baines | Baltimore Orioles 1993 to 1995Baltimore Orioles 1997 to 2000 |
| Duke Snider and Gil Hodges | Brooklyn Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers 1947 to 1961New York Mets 1963 |
Reunited the most
876 pairs played together for three or more franchises. These are the ones who kept finding each other.
| Teammates | Together |
|---|---|
| Julio Franco and Roberto Hernandez | Chicago White Sox 1994Tampa Bay Devil Rays 1999Atlanta Braves 2003New York Mets 2006 |
| Jesse Orosco and Mike Fetters | Milwaukee Brewers 1992 to 1994Baltimore Orioles 1999Los Angeles Dodgers 2001Minnesota Twins 2003 |
| Jeff Reardon and Greg Harris | New York Mets 1981Montreal Expos 1984Boston Red Sox 1990 to 1992New York Yankees 1994 |
| Kenny Lofton and David Bell | Cleveland Indians 1995Cleveland Indians 1998San Francisco Giants 2002Philadelphia Phillies 2005 |
| Jim Edmonds and Russ Springer | California Angels 1993 to 1995St. Louis Cardinals 2003St. Louis Cardinals 2007Cincinnati Reds 2010 |
The longest time apart
| Teammates | Together | Apart |
|---|---|---|
| Jim O'Rourke and Dan Brouthers | Buffalo Bisons 1881 to 1884New York Giants 1904 | 19 |
| Paul Hines and Pop Snyder | Washington Blue Legs 1873Washington Statesmen 1891 | 17 |
| Sam Thompson and Frank Scheibeck | Detroit Wolverines 1888Detroit Tigers 1906 | 17 |
| Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro | Texas Rangers 1989Baltimore Orioles 2005 | 15 |
| Eddie Collins and Wally Schang | Philadelphia Athletics 1913 to 1914Philadelphia Athletics 1930 | 15 |
Basketball
Kevin Durant and James Harden came up together in Oklahoma City, split for eight seasons, and met again in Brooklyn in 2020-21. Russell Westbrook found Harden twice after Oklahoma City, in Houston and with the Clippers, and LeBron James got Dwyane Wade back in Cleveland for half a season in 2017-18. Michael Jordan and Charles Oakley, Bulls teammates in the 1980s, were together again on the 2002-03 Wizards, 14 seasons later, in Jordan's last season.
Famous reunions
| Teammates | Together |
|---|---|
| Kevin Durant and James Harden | Oklahoma City Thunder 2009-10 to 2011-12Brooklyn Nets 2020-21 to 2021-22 |
| Russell Westbrook and James Harden | Oklahoma City Thunder 2009-10 to 2011-12Houston Rockets 2019-20Los Angeles Clippers 2023-24 |
| Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony | Oklahoma City Thunder 2017-18Los Angeles Lakers 2021-22 |
| LeBron James and Dwyane Wade | Miami Heat 2010-11 to 2013-14Cleveland Cavaliers 2017-18 |
| Shaquille O'Neal and Gary Payton | Los Angeles Lakers 2003-04Miami Heat 2005-06 to 2006-07 |
| Russell Westbrook and Paul George | Oklahoma City Thunder 2017-18 to 2018-19Los Angeles Clippers 2022-23 to 2023-24 |
| LeBron James and Dwight Howard | Los Angeles Lakers 2019-20Los Angeles Lakers 2021-22 |
| Dwight Howard and Anthony Davis | Los Angeles Lakers 2019-20Los Angeles Lakers 2021-22 |
Reunited the most
109 pairs played together for three or more franchises. These are the ones who kept finding each other.
| Teammates | Together |
|---|---|
| Dwight Howard and Trevor Ariza | Orlando Magic 2005-06 to 2007-08Houston Rockets 2014-15 to 2015-16Washington Wizards 2018-19Los Angeles Lakers 2021-22 |
| Lucious Harris and Doug Overton | Philadelphia 76ers 1996-97New Jersey Nets 1998-99New Jersey Nets 2000-01New Jersey Nets 2003-04 |
| Jeff Green and Austin Rivers | Los Angeles Clippers 2015-16Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets 2018-19 to 2019-20Denver Nuggets 2021-22 |
| Russell Westbrook and James Harden | Oklahoma City Thunder 2009-10 to 2011-12Houston Rockets 2019-20Los Angeles Clippers 2023-24 |
| Mark Jackson and Charles Oakley | New York Knicks 1988-89 to 1991-92Toronto Raptors 2000-01Houston Rockets 2003-04 |
The longest time apart
| Teammates | Together | Apart |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Chambers and Terry Cummings | San Diego Clippers 1982-83Philadelphia 76ers 1997-98 | 14 |
| Michael Jordan and Charles Oakley | Chicago Bulls 1985-86 to 1987-88Washington Wizards 2002-03 | 14 |
| Tyson Chandler and Jamal Crawford | Chicago Bulls 2001-02 to 2003-04Phoenix Suns 2018-19 | 14 |
| Nicolas Batum and Patty Mills | Portland Trail Blazers 2009-10 to 2010-11Los Angeles Clippers 2024-25 | 13 |
| Robert Parish and Rickey Green | Golden State Warriors 1977-78Boston Celtics 1991-92 | 13 |
Football
Football careers are short, so reunions are rarer than in any other sport here. Jerry Rice and Rod Woodson were 49ers in 1997 and Raiders five years later, when they played in the Super Bowl together. Charles Haley came out of retirement in 1998 to rejoin Rice in San Francisco, and Chris Doleman went back to Minnesota for his final season in 1999, five years after he'd left Cris Carter, John Randle and Randall McDaniel there. Larry Csonka went the long way back to Bob Griese in Miami: the World Football League, then the Giants, then the 1979 Dolphins.
Famous reunions
| Teammates | Together |
|---|---|
| Jerry Rice and Rod Woodson | San Francisco 49ers 1997Oakland Raiders 2002 to 2003 |
| Willie Roaf and Morten Andersen | New Orleans Saints 1993 to 1994Kansas City Chiefs 2002 to 2003 |
| Randall McDaniel and Chris Doleman | Minnesota Vikings 1988 to 1993Minnesota Vikings 1999 |
| Cris Carter and Chris Doleman | Minnesota Vikings 1990 to 1993Minnesota Vikings 1999 |
| Chris Doleman and John Randle | Minnesota Vikings 1990 to 1993Minnesota Vikings 1999 |
| Rod Woodson and Kevin Greene | Pittsburgh Steelers 1993 to 1995San Francisco 49ers 1997 |
| Jerry Rice and Charles Haley | San Francisco 49ers 1986 to 1991San Francisco 49ers 1998 to 1999 |
| Ray Guy and Dave Casper | Oakland Raiders 1974 to 1980Los Angeles Raiders 1984 |
Reunited the most
129 pairs played together for three or more franchises. These are the ones who kept finding each other.
| Teammates | Together |
|---|---|
| Brian Hoyer and Marcus Cannon | New England Patriots 2011New England Patriots 2017 to 2018New England Patriots 2020New England Patriots 2022 |
| Anthony Pleasant and Rick Lyle | Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens 1994 to 1996New York Jets 1998 to 1999New England Patriots 2002 to 2003 |
| Ricky Proehl and Jason Kyle | Seattle Seahawks 1995 to 1996St. Louis Rams 2000Carolina Panthers 2003 to 2005 |
| Kevin Byard and A.J. Brown | Tennessee Titans 2019 to 2021Philadelphia Eagles 2023New England Patriots 2026 |
| Steve Bono and Joe Phillips | Minnesota Vikings 1986Kansas City Chiefs 1994 to 1996St. Louis Rams 1998 |
The longest time apart
| Teammates | Together | Apart |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Tupa and Ray Brown | Phoenix Cardinals 1988Washington Redskins 2004 | 15 |
| Cris Carter and Mark Royals | Philadelphia Eagles 1987Miami Dolphins 2002 | 14 |
| Chris Doleman and Joe Phillips | Minnesota Vikings 1986Minnesota Vikings 1999 | 12 |
| Morten Andersen and Adam Schreiber | New Orleans Saints 1985Atlanta Falcons 1997 to 1998 | 11 |
| Darrell Green and Tommy Barnhardt | Washington Redskins 1988Washington Redskins 2000 | 11 |
Hockey
Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier won four Stanley Cups together in Edmonton, split when Gretzky was traded in 1988, and were together again on the Rangers in 1996-97, eight seasons later. Brett Hull found two old teammates after leaving: Al MacInnis, from his first years in Calgary, joined him in St. Louis, and Brendan Shanahan, from St. Louis, was there when he got to Detroit and won the 2002 Cup. Ed Belfour and Joe Nieuwendyk won the 1999 Cup in Dallas and went on to play together in Toronto and Florida.
Famous reunions
| Teammates | Together |
|---|---|
| Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers 1979-80 to 1987-88New York Rangers 1996-97 |
| Brendan Shanahan and Brett Hull | St. Louis Blues 1991-92 to 1994-95Detroit Red Wings 2001-02 to 2003-04 |
| Brett Hull and Al MacInnis | Calgary Flames 1985-86 to 1987-88St. Louis Blues 1994-95 to 1997-98 |
| Wayne Gretzky and Grant Fuhr | Edmonton Oilers 1981-82 to 1987-88Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues 1994-95 to 1995-96 |
| Ron Francis and Tom Barrasso | Pittsburgh Penguins 1990-91 to 1997-98Carolina Hurricanes 2001-02 |
| Ron Francis and Paul Coffey | Pittsburgh Penguins 1990-91 to 1991-92Carolina Hurricanes 1998-99 to 1999-00 |
| Jarome Iginla and Phil Housley | Calgary Flames 1995-96Calgary Flames 1998-99 to 2000-01 |
| Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey | Edmonton Oilers 1980-81 to 1986-87Los Angeles Kings 1991-92 to 1992-93 |
Reunited the most
246 pairs played together for three or more franchises. These are the ones who kept finding each other.
| Teammates | Together |
|---|---|
| Brad May and Todd Bertuzzi | Vancouver Canucks 1998-99 to 1999-00Vancouver Canucks 2002-03 to 2003-04Anaheim Ducks 2007-08Detroit Red Wings 2009-10 |
| Adam Graves and Esa Tikkanen | Edmonton Oilers 1989-90 to 1990-91New York Rangers 1992-93 to 1993-94New York Rangers 1996-97New York Rangers 1998-99 |
| Radim Vrbata and Zbynek Michalek | Phoenix Coyotes 2007-08Phoenix Coyotes 2009-10Phoenix Coyotes 2012-13 to 2013-14Arizona Coyotes 2016-17 |
| Vincent Damphousse and Scott Thornton | Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers 1990-91 to 1991-92Montréal Canadiens 1996-97 to 1998-99San Jose Sharks 2000-01 to 2003-04 |
| Curtis Joseph and Boyd Devereaux | Edmonton Oilers 1997-98Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes 2002-03 to 2005-06Toronto Maple Leafs 2008-09 |
The longest time apart
| Teammates | Together | Apart |
|---|---|---|
| Steve Thomas and Todd Gill | Toronto Maple Leafs 1984-85 to 1986-87Chicago Blackhawks 2002-03 | 15 |
| David Perron and Lars Eller | St. Louis Blues 2009-10Ottawa Senators 2025-26 | 15 |
| Martin Brodeur and Steve Sullivan | New Jersey Devils 1995-96 to 1996-97New Jersey Devils 2012-13 | 15 |
| Patrik Elias and Steve Sullivan | New Jersey Devils 1995-96 to 1996-97New Jersey Devils 2012-13 | 15 |
| Luke Richardson and Tie Domi | Toronto Maple Leafs 1989-90Toronto Maple Leafs 2005-06 | 15 |
Soccer
Soccer reunions come with transfer fees. Lionel Messi and Neymar left Barcelona four years apart and met again at Paris Saint-Germain, where Sergio Ramos found Ángel Di María and Achraf Hakimi from Real Madrid. Manchester United brought Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2021, and within a year he had Raphaël Varane and Casemiro beside him again. The longest gap belongs to Ramos and Jesús Navas, who came through Sevilla's academy together and were teammates there again in 2023-24, 17 seasons after Ramos left for Madrid.
Famous reunions
| Teammates | Together |
|---|---|
| Sergio Ramos and Ángel Di María | Real Madrid 2010-11 to 2013-14Paris Saint-Germain 2021-22 |
| Sergio Ramos and Achraf Hakimi | Real Madrid 2017-18Paris Saint-Germain 2021-22 to 2022-23 |
| Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rüdiger | Chelsea FC 2017-18Real Madrid 2022-23 to 2025-26 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo and Casemiro | Real Madrid 2012-13 to 2017-18Manchester United 2022-23 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphaël Varane | Real Madrid 2011-12 to 2017-18Manchester United 2021-22 to 2022-23 |
| Casemiro and Raphaël Varane | Real Madrid 2012-13 to 2020-21Manchester United 2022-23 to 2023-24 |
| Lionel Messi and Neymar | FC Barcelona 2013-14 to 2016-17Paris Saint-Germain 2021-22 to 2022-23 |
| Bernardo Silva and Radamel Falcao | AS Monaco 2014-15AS Monaco 2016-17 |
Reunited the most
201 pairs played together for three or more franchises. These are the ones who kept finding each other.
| Teammates | Together |
|---|---|
| Glen Johnson and Joe Cole | West Ham United, Chelsea FC 2002-03 to 2005-06Chelsea FC 2007-08Liverpool FC 2010-11Liverpool FC 2012-13 |
| Marco Borriello and Marco Storari | AC Milan 2006-07AC Milan 2009-10Juventus FC 2011-12Cagliari Calcio 2016-17 |
| Domenico Morfeo and Bernardo Corradi | Cagliari Calcio 1999-00Inter Milan 2002-03Parma Calcio 1913 2005-06Parma Calcio 1913 2007-08 |
| Luca Marchegiani and Roberto Baronio | SS Lazio 1996-97SS Lazio 1998-99SS Lazio 2000-01Chievo Verona 2003-04 to 2004-05 |
| Antonio Filippini and Andrea Caracciolo | Brescia Calcio 2001-02Brescia Calcio 2003-04Palermo FC 2005-06Brescia Calcio 2010-11 |
The longest time apart
| Teammates | Together | Apart |
|---|---|---|
| Sergio Ramos and Jesús Navas | Sevilla FC 2003-04 to 2005-06Sevilla FC 2023-24 | 17 |
| Maurizio Ganz and Sergio Marcon | UC Sampdoria 1987-88Ancona Calcio 2003-04 | 15 |
| Matuzalém and Ferdinando Coppola | SSC Napoli 2000-01Hellas Verona 2015-16 | 14 |
| Salomón Rondón and Santi Cazorla | Málaga CF 2011-12Real Oviedo 2025-26 | 13 |
| Viv Anderson and Chris Woods | Nottingham Forest 1977-78Sheffield Wednesday 1991-92 to 1992-93 | 13 |
Use it in Teammate Chain
A reunion means two players were teammates on two different rosters, often years apart. In Teammate Chain that’s a link you can make from either era: if you know Jordan played with Oakley in Chicago, he also played with him in Washington, alongside a whole different set of players. For the teammates who never split up at all, see the longest partnerships.
How we counted
Two players are teammates in a season if both played for the same team that season. A reunion is a later stretch together after at least one season in which both played, but not together. A season one of them missed (an injury, a year out of the league) doesn’t split a pair, and neither does being traded together. When both players spent part of a season with each of two teams, as Ray Allen and Gary Payton did when they were traded for each other in 2003, that season doesn’t count as time together. In football, only seasons a player was on a team count, not training camp or the practice squad. In soccer, only seasons a player actually played count, and since 2012-13, only clubs he played league games for, since squad lists can keep a player who has left.
About the data
Rosters come from the data behind Teammate Chain: every major-league baseball season since 1871, the NBA since 1946-47 (not the ABA), the NFL since 1970, the NHL since 1967-68 (not the WHA) and Europe’s top five soccer leagues since 1963-64. Spot a mistake? Let us know.