Contrary to Warner Brothers’ beliefs, Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan was not motivated by a pack of animated Looney Tunes headed by Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and other famous characters to end his short-lived baseball career and return home to the NBA where he belonged.

Although he did successfully help the Looney Tunes defeat a group of aliens in a marquee match-up that would determine the freedom of the entertaining cartoonists, the Space Jam competition (and that catchy beat) was not the reason for Jordan’s decision to come out of retirement (and the minors) to rejoin the Bulls in the Windy City.

Maybe it was the .202 batting average in which he struck out a total of 114 times in 436 at-bats. Maybe it was the 11 errors in 127 games, where he turned singles into doubles and outs into singles. Or perhaps it was those uncomfortable tight pants, high socks, and gray button-up shirt instead of the loose shorts, Air Jordan’s, and red #23 jersey that ultimately convinced Jordan to hang up his helmet, stow away the batting gloves and pick up the basketball once again.

Whatever the actual reason, Michael Jordan decided to end his dreams of becoming a star Major League Baseball player and resumed his title as the greatest basketball star in NBA history.

Following the 1992-1993 season, in which the Bulls won the Championship for the third consecutive year, Michael Jordan announced his retirement from the NBA, saying he wished to pursue a career in baseball. When Jordan’s father tragically was murdered in July 1993, Michael felt in tribute to his name he would sign with the Chicago White Sox Double A Affliate Birmingham Barons, since his father always envisioned him growing up to one day play on the baseball diamond.

Jordan played under now Red Sox manager Terry Francona that year. “That was the best experience I could have ever had,” Francona said. “I couldn’t believe how he handled things. He was put in some horrendous situations, unfair situations and he always handled it with grace. It amazed me how he did that.”

Baseball and Michael Jordan did not mix though. Following his lone season in the minors, Jordan opted to return to the sport he excelled in by re-signing with the Bulls and leading them to another three Championships.

Now, inducted into basketball immortality alongside former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, all-time assist leader John Stockton, Spur great David Robinson, and Rutgers women’s coach C. Vivian Stringer, Jordan will be crowned as the greatest player to ever set foot on a court.

His number 23 will be hailed the same way Wayne Gretzky’s 99 is worshipped in the NHL, and George “The Babe” Ruth’s 3 is revered by baseball fans everywhere.

Though Jordan may have been the most prominent name to switch professional sports during one’s career, there are several other athletes who gave up playing one game to shine in another — even without counting Tony Romo’s attempt to qualify for the PGA Tour or Shaquille O’Neal’s “Shaq vs…”

Here is a list of a few recent sports figures who grew tired of playing one sport and chose to give another a try. Not all of them may ring a bell at first glance, but they still carried with them a never-give-up attitude that enabled them to cross sports.

Deion Sanders

“Neon Deion” managed to not only compile a successful football career as a nine-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl Champion, but also carried an impressive resume in his nine years as an outfielder in the MLB. Drafted 5th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 1989, Sanders did not allow the overlapping seasons to hinder his opportunity to become a professional two-sport athlete. In 1989, Sanders remarkably hit a home run with the New York Yankees and scored a touchdown for the Falcons later that day.

Sanders found himself in quite a few scuffs over the years in the MLB. In 1990, Carlton Fisk, then with the Chicago White Sox,  became aggravated after Sanders drew a dollar sign in the dirt with his bat. Fisk, who held great reverence for the game, called Sanders out, which led to a shouting match in the middle of the game. A few years later, during a postseason run with the Braves,  Sanders poured a buckett of ice over the head of announcer Tim McCarver after McCarver questioned Sanders’ loyalty to both his MLB and NFL squad.

Even so, the talent and ability were apparent. Making a World Series appearance with the Atlanta Braves in 1992, Sanders became the only player in history to reach both the Super Bowl and the World Series. Though football was his primary sport, he finished his baseball career in 2001 with a .263 batting average, 558 hits, and 186 stolen bases. After retiring in 2006 from the NFL, Sanders left behind a legacy with 52 interceptions, returning a record 19 of them for touchdowns.

Known for many of his famous quotes, Sanders had a memorable conversation with Sports Illustrated about a dual-sport track in 1989: “I’ve always said I love football and that baseball is my girlfriend,” he told the magazine. “Well, that girlfriend is really getting friendly now.”

Greg Paulus

In his four years as point guard of the Duke Blue Devils, Greg Paulus enjoyed a successful run engineering the team’s offense under the brilliant coaching of Mike Krzyzewski. Paulus helped lead Duke to a spot in the Elite Eight his freshman season alongside three-point master J.J. Reddick, with Paulus compiling 187 assists to rank third on the all-time freshman list. However, in his senior season this past year, Paulus’ inconsistency forced him to only start five games while he averaged only 16 minutes of play.

Instead of entering the NBA draft with a slim chance of being selected, Paulus decided to enroll at Syracuse University and participate in the Orange football program instead of continuing his hoop career. Paulus lost his NCAA football debut to Minnesota 23-20, throwing for 167 yards while completing 19-of-31 passes with one touchdown and one interception.

Drew Henson

Henson began his professional career after getting drafted by the New York Yankees in 1998. In college at the University of Michigan, Henson served as Tom Brady’s back-up before taking over at the helm his junior year. After a long journey in the minors, Henson finally made his major-league debut with the Yankees in 2002, yet was given only one at-bat (a strikeout) in three games. (He actually once was acquired by the Yankees in a deal that sent former Red Sox outfielder Wily Mo Pena to the Cincinnati Reds.) The following season, Henson appeared in five games with New York, going 1-for-8 in his brief call-up with the club.

After the season, Henson decided to return to his college sport by offering his services to the Dallas Cowboys to play under Bill Parcells. Like his baseball career, however, Henson was limited. Starting in the Thanksgiving Day game in 2004, Henson had a poor showing, completing only four passes in 12 attempts for 31 yards. Henson went on to be listed as the third quarterback behind Drew Bledsoe and Romo. He was later assigned to play in NFL Europe in 2006 before he secured a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings in 2007, but was cut prior to the season opener.

One year later, Henson would receive another shot when he inked a contract with the Detroit Lions. Though he only played one game, Henson was cut by the Lions this past April and is still hunting for a job as a free agent.

Jeff Samardzija

After agreeing to play baseball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Jeff Samardzija was best know for his impact during Saturday football games while catching long passes from quarterback Brady Quinn. Although he served as a reserve in his first two seasons, Samardzija set several team-records his junior and senior years, including receiving yardage (2,593) and touchdown receptions. After his senior season in 2006, Samardzija was named one of the top three finalists for the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver. Though he was scouted by many NFL teams, Samardzija backed away from football when he signed a five-year, $10 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.

On July 25, 2008, Samardzija made his MLB debut, striking out the first Florida Marlins batter he faced. Two days later he recorded his first career save. Though his fastball is clocked consistently between the 96-99 mph range, Samardzija was optioned back to the minors prior to the 2009 season. This past year, in 17 games (1 start) Samardzija is 1-2 with a 7.81 ERA as he continues to develop into a major league pitcher.

Will he one day resume his football duties, too? Only time will tell.

Bo Jackson

Arguably the greatest natural two-sport athlete in history, Jackson was the 1985 Heisman Trophy winner at Auburn University. Anchoring the team at running back, Jackson currently ranks fourth all-time in the SEC Conference with 4,303 total yards. That same year, Jackson batted .401 with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs for Auburn’s baseball team. (In fact, Jackson was teammates with former Chicago White Sox designated hitter Frank Thomas in both Auburn sports.) During his already impressive collegiate career, Jackson qualified in track & field in the 100 meter dash which made him eligible to join the U.S. Olympic team, but that undertaking did not provide the financial incentives Jackson sought in football or baseball

In 1986, Jackson was selected as the first overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL Draft. Yet Jackson decided to join the Kansas City Royals (for whom he was a fourth-round pick), where he first began his MLB career. In 1989, he was voted to the All-Star game and received the honor of being named MVP of the game. Most known for his frustration when he had a poor at-bat, Jackson would snap the wooden bat over his knees or his helmets breaking it into two.

Though he did not sign with the Buccaneers, Jackson re-entered the draft in 1987 as he was selected in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Raiders. In his four seasons with the franchise, Jackson rushed for a total of 2.782 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also holds the Monday Night Football record for most rushing yards in a single game with 221 when he ran over the Seattle Seahawks (quite literally, in the case of a memorable bulldozing of linebacker Brian Bosworth) in 1987 with two rushing and one receiving touchdown.

An injury during his NFL career cost Jackson the 1992 MLB season. Now with the Chicago White Sox, Jackson would go on to play one more season with the team in 1993 where he was awarded the AL Comeback Player of the Year. In 1994, Jackson joined the Los Angeles Angels for his final season in MLB, where he finished his career with a .250 batting average, 141 home runs, and 415 RBIs.

Perhaps more than any other modern athlete, Bo knew dominance in two sports…and then some: