Hey, Millionaire! No matter how much money you've made, it's still possible to go broke.
And nobody seems more skilled at going broke than sports stars. Even the highest-paid
sportsmen blow all their money in dumb and sometimes very creative ways. It doesn't take
long before they're filing for bankruptcy. If you're thinking NBA stars are immune,
you're so wrong! In fact, according to a 2009 report in Sports Illustrated,
60% of NBA players go bankrupt within just 5 years of retiring! There are so many NBA players
who went broke that we could never fit them all in one list. So we've rounded up our own top 8.
Hearing just how much money these NBA players lost will blow your mind. So let's get to it!
8. Eddy Curry - $57 million While Eddy Curry was never one of the
biggest stars, he sure was valuable on the court. Sadly, his life never quite turned out the way he
would've hoped. Back in 2009, his life suddenly went down a really dark path. It started when
his former chauffeur suddenly accused Curry of owing him $93,000 in unpaid wages. But that wasn't
the worst part. He topped off the claim with an allegation of sexual harassment. Curry denied the
claims, and since the chauffeur was a convicted felon, it's possible some of his claims were lies.
As soon as Curry had settled that problem, he was given the news that was way worse. His 9-month-old
daughter and her mom, Curry's ex-girlfriend Nova, were found dead in Nova's apartment.
This was no tragic accident either. They had been murdered by Nova's attorney, who represented her
in the custody case against Curry. Thankfully, his 3-year-old son was found at the scene unharmed,
but that doesn't change how devastated he must have been over the death of his baby daughter.
The lawyer was later charged with first-degree murder. To add to his troubles, in 2010,
it was revealed that he was totally broke. Despite making $57 million throughout his career, he was
$2 million in debt when he filed for bankruptcy. I only hope he can get back on his feet.
7. Kenny Anderson - $63 million Some people still think Kenny Anderson
may have been the greatest New York prep player of all time. That's an impressive feat, considering
all the great New York players, and his bank balance grew to an equally impressive $63 million.
But remarkably, Anderson somehow managed to go broke within just weeks of retiring! It seems a
couple of failed marriages broke Anderson's bank. One of his ex-wives even made an appearance on
VH1's 'Basketball Wives' to show off how much money she got in the divorce settlement. Her
vehicle license plate even reads "His Cash," just so everyone knows she took all Anderson's money.
That's gotta hurt. To add insult to injury, Anderson was trying to get back on his feet
by coaching high schoolers, but he lost the job due to a DUI. Luckily, since 2013,
things seem to be looking up for Anderson. There's even an award-winning feature-length
documentary about him, called 'Mr. Chibbs,' in case you want to learn more about his struggles.
6. Jayson Williams - $63 million Jayson Williams had a pretty unique career - he
made his only all-star game at the age of 30 and retired due to injury at the age of 31. Still,
he somehow managed to make $63 million! Everyone expected him to become the next great analyst,
but a tragedy ended his career. In 2002 he was playing with his gun while riding around in his
limo when the gun accidentally went off. The fatal mistake killed Williams' driver.
Williams served a 27-month prison sentence as a result. That wasn't how he went broke,
though. Despite the accident and a string of other arrests for drugs and alcohol-related problems,
Williams was known for his generosity. He was even known to regularly give
$500 tips! But it all added up. In the 2010 court case, it was revealed that Williams was narrowly
avoiding bankruptcy and practically broke. The story does have a happy ending, though,
because Williams now runs the Rebound Institute - a recovery center in Florida!
How would you turn your life around if you went broke? Let us know in the comments!
5. Derrick Coleman - $91 million
Derrick Coleman was set to become the world's best power forward ever. But sadly, he somehow wasted
his talent, and he was accused of playing just well enough to ensure he wasn't dropped instead
of playing at his best. Still, he did earn an impressive $91 million throughout his career, even
if he never became the star he could've been. But it seems he wasn't any more interested in keeping
track of his money. In 2010, he had to file for bankruptcy. But, in a weird way, that might have
been a good thing. After losing his millions, he set up DC Elite in his hometown, Detroit, to
bring the love of basketball to inner-city kids! At least something good came from going broke.
4. Vin Baker - $97 million Vin Baker wasn't just a
four-time All-Star - he was also an Olympic gold medallist by the time he retired! That's a level
of stardom most people never dream of. But it does mean that this story is pretty shocking.
Despite earning $97 million in his star-studded career, Vin was seen working at Starbucks to
survive. A battle with alcoholism and other financial troubles meant Vin quickly burned
through all his money. It's almost lucky that he happened to be friends with the CEO of Starbucks,
Howard Schultz. He bailed him out by offering him a managerial position at a Connecticut branch near
his home. You'll be happy to hear that the job actually did help Baker get back on his feet!
He started coaching basketball in high school and has since worked his way up to assistant
coach with his old team, the Milwaukee Bucks! Hopefully, it's only getting better from here.
Think $97 million is a lot to lose? Keep watching for the really big losses!
3. Latrell Sprewell - $100 million Lattrell Sprewell was riding high
for so long he must have forgotten that you can go broke. With about $100 million in the bank,
he famously turned down a $21 million contract! That's more money than most people will ever have,
but he didn't care. Within just two years of retirement, he'd blown through his $100 million.
His $1.5 million, 70-foot private yacht had been repossessed, and his houses in Milwaukee and New
York had been foreclosed. That must have been a hard pill to swallow for someone who clearly
thought they had enough money to last a lifetime. Apparently, he had just
$50,000 left in his bank account after that. Bet he regrets turning down that contract now.
2. Antoine Walker - $108 million Antoine Walker became a star
really early in his career. He was a 3-time All-Star and even won a ring with Miami Heat.
With all that star power, he earned an impressive $108 million over his career.
And he lost it all within a year of retiring. He was quickly arrested for writing bad
checks to pay off gambling debts he couldn't afford. Apparently, he owed six-figure sums to
more than one casino! Hearing that, it makes sense that he couldn't pay. Two years after his arrest,
he filed for bankruptcy. One of his old teammates was nice enough to pay for his
bankruptcy attorney. But sadly, Walker still had to auction off his NCAA championship ring
to cover his debts. As of 2013, he is debt-free, so at least there's a happy ending.
Finally, the dumbest NBA player on this list is...
1. Allen Iverson - $154 million
Allen Iverson is definitely a like-him-or-hate-him kind of player. But he sure made his mark - as an
MVP and Hall of Famer, he's one of the sport's most iconic players. It's estimated that he made
over $154 million during his career! That's a lot of money, even for an NBA star! There are
conflicting reports about him blowing all that cash, but I think he deserves the top spot on
this list. Let me explain. Iverson has had more than his fair share of conflict with the law.
He's been arrested for possessing guns, and he's even been caught having physical fights
with casino security. But it was in 2012 that things really got rough for him. He was taken
to court by a jeweler. Apparently, Iverson owed him an incredible amount of money - $860,000,
in fact. Iverson couldn't pay the debt, so the judge ruled to remove Iverson's control over his
own bank account. Divorce proceedings complicated things even further when his ex-wife won half of
his $32 million trust fund that he gains access to in 2030. It's true that he had a lifetime
contract with Reebok that earns him $800,000 per year, so you could say he didn't go broke.
I say, if you can't access your bank account, you're broke no matter what you're earning.