The life of an NBA star paints the image of wealth, fame, and luxuries many of us can only dream of. With celebrity status, idolized by thousands, and multi-million-dollar endorsements, it’s unimaginable that these athletes can lose it all when they’re done playing pro basketball.
Sadly, for some of the NBA’s best players, life after the court comes crashing down. Even some of the greatest players, including Scottie Pippen and Allen Iverson, faced financial hardship after their playing days had finished.
So, why do so many NBA players struggle with their finances when they retire? To find out, we’ve analyzed the names of drafted players from 1970 onwards against available records and cross-checked lists of NBA players known to have experienced financial challenges.
Why it matters
- In the 2023-2024 season, 82.3% of players were people of color, who are more likely to lack generational wealth due to systematic oppression
- Players often leave college early without completing a degree, leaving them fewer employment options if their NBA earnings dry up
- The financial struggles of retired NBA stars highlight the critical need for financial literacy and support systems for athletes
Key findings
- The personal bankruptcy rate among professional basketball players is six times higher than that of the regular US population
- On average, NBA player bankruptcy occurs within seven years of retirement
- NBA teams proven most likely to produce bankrupt players include the Celtics, Nets, and Bulls
The NBA Fame to Financial Hardship Pipeline
Allen Iverson
Drafted first-overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996, the former league MVP, and 11-time All-Star, amassed a fortune of $154 million during his career. Iverson left the NBA in 2010 and had filed for bankruptcy a year before he finished playing.
Scottie Pippen
Pippen was drafted fifth overall in the 1987 draft by the Chicago Bulls and proved to be a key addition for the franchise and Michael Jordan throughout their dynasty era. Alongside Jordan, Pippen won six NBA titles with the Bulls and was a seven-time NBA All-Star.
Pippen made $110 million during his NBA career and filed for bankruptcy a year before his time in the league had ended. With so much success and fortune, it’s unfathomable that Jordan’s ultimate sidekick could face such financial difficulties.
Antoine Walker
Another first round pick, Walker won the NBA title with the Miami Heat in 2006. The three-time All-Star earned an incredible $108 million while playing in the NBA. Walker retired in 2008 and was bankrupt two years later.
Latrell Sprewell
The former point guard was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 1992 draft. By the end of his second season in the NBA, Sprewell was an All-Star. He made four All-Star appearances and earned $97 million. He played for 11 years in the NBA. Two years after his retirement, Sprewell found himself bankrupt.
Vin Baker
Baker won Olympic gold at the Sydney Games in 2000. He was drafted in the first round of the 1993 draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. Baker was a four-time All-Star and was called “America’s Best-Kept Secret” by Sports Illustrated as he was coming out of college. His NBA career earned him $97 million. In 2014, eight years after he retired, he declared bankruptcy.
Trevor Ariza
Ariza won the NBA title with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008. The former second round pick earned $119 million throughout his 18-year NBA career. He retired as recently as 2022. Despite a multi-million-dollar contract in his final season, Ariza found himself in extreme financial hardship in 2023.
Gilbert Arenas
Arenas made $163 million during his 11-year NBA career. The three-time All-Star had his own Adidas shoe, the Gil Zero. The shoe company also gave him his own line. In 2009, Arenas was dropped by the company due to a gun incident.
Arenas was a philanthropist during his career with the Washington Wizards. In the 2006-07 season, he donated $100 for each point he scored in home games to local schools. In 2016, four years after retiring, Arenas’s fortune had disappeared, and he found himself struggling financially.
Glen Rice
Rice was the fourth-overall pick by the Miami Heat in 1989. He played for 15 years in the league and was an NBA champion with Kobe, Shaquille O’Neal, and the Lakers in 2000.
Rice was a three-time All-Star and made $68 million dollars throughout his playing career. Despite his success and fortune, Glen Rice found himself in extreme financial hardship in 2015, which was 11 years after retirement.
What Role Does Team Affiliation Play in Post-Career Bankruptcy?
Most NBA players move from team to team throughout their playing careers. Therefore, we listed the team each player had played for the most to narrow our breakdown.
Boston Celtics
No team had more players file for bankruptcy after their playing careers than the Celtics (4). Two former Celtics stars also found themselves in extreme financial hardship.
Brooklyn Nets
The franchise that was once co-owned by rapper, Jay-Z, has had the most players find themselves in extreme financial hardship (3). Our research found that one player from the Nets has been declared bankrupt.
Chicago Bulls
Scottie Pippen was one of three former Bulls stars to find themselves bankrupt after they retired. Chicago had one player in extreme financial hardship during retirement. Their total of four players to either end up bankrupt or struggling for money, is joint second with the Nets and Bucks.
Los Angeles Lakers
The team with the nickname “Showtime” has had the second-highest number of players suffer extreme financial hardship on our list (2) after they’ve finished playing. The other teams with retired stars who faced such poverty are the Bucks and Celtics.
Conclusion
It takes years of practice and dedication for these athletes to perform and achieve great success on the basketball court. So many of the players we discovered on our list became All-Stars during their professional careers and went on to become some of the best in the world.
And yet, their years of hard work and devotion could not prepare them for the harsh realities of the outside world. Players frequently leave college early without completing a degree, which means there are fewer employment options if their NBA earnings dry up.
With an NBA bankruptcy rate significantly higher than the national average, it is clear that team management needs to be proactive. By ensuring players have access to resources that foster long-term financial health, teams can empower their athletes to make informed decisions, securing their financial futures well beyond their years on the court.
