15 Athletes Who Lost Everything After They Retired
In a normal setting, retirement might sound like a dream. It means no more training camps, press junkets, or season-ending injuries. But for some athletes, stepping away from the game is a nosedive. The spotlight fades, the checks stop coming, and suddenly, the skills that built their empire don’t quite translate to everyday life.
These 20 sports stars found post-retirement life far more challenging than any opponent they faced on the field.
Marion Jones
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Once a national darling with multiple gold medals, things took a sharp turn after Jones admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. The medals vanished, but the consequences stuck around in the form of legal troubles, financial ruin, and a bankruptcy filing followed. Her $2.5 million home was also gone.
Todd Marinovich
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Marinovich was football’s great experiment. He was groomed from birth to be the ultimate quarterback, but when the pressure and expectations collided with personal freedom, it all unraveled. His career was brief, his addiction struggles very public, and his post-NFL life became a carousel of arrests, rehabs, and rock-bottom moments.
Antoine Walker
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Despite earning over $108 million during his NBA career, Walker declared bankruptcy just two years after retiring. Lavish spending on cars and homes and frequent handouts to more than 70 friends and family members drained his accounts. Casino debts eventually landed him in legal trouble.
Dennis Rodman
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Rodman was always going to have a wild post-NBA chapter. But even his biggest fans couldn’t have predicted his drunken wrestling cameos. The man who once led the league in rebounds ended up bouncing between controversies, unpaid child support cases, and financial headaches.
Curt Schilling
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Rather than lavish spending, Schilling’s downfall came from misplaced entrepreneurial ambition. He poured millions into a video game company that failed spectacularly before losing $50 million of his own money and $75 million in state funding. Nearly 400 employees lost their jobs when the company collapsed overnight.
Ben Cousins
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In Australia, Ben Cousins was the footballer. But fame and elite athleticism didn’t protect him from addiction’s grip. His post-career years read like a rehab log. He cycled through arrests, stints in jail, and rehab programs, with each failed attempt at recovery attracting intense public scrutiny.
Scottie Pippen
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Pippen’s financial decisions eroded his wealth. Even championship clout couldn’t save him from some expensive missteps. He purchased private jets that didn’t fly (literally), and invested in failed business ventures and a steady stream of ill-timed investments. Despite earning over $100 million, financial troubles hit him hard.
Mary Lou Retton
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America’s sweetheart of gymnastics faced a far tougher routine after the leotard came off. Chronic health problems, a serious lung condition, and mounting medical expenses painted a grim picture. Add to that run-ins with the law and divorce, and the once-sparkling star found herself in financial freefall.
Vince Young
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He was once the king of college football and cashed a $26 million NFL deal. But Young’s spending habits were legendary, and not in a good way. Fancy cars, five-figure steakhouse bills, and birthday bashes worthy of royalty quickly drained his fortune. It wasn’t long before he was looking for a way back into the league.
Jim Thorpe
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An American sports legend, Thorpe’s post-athletic years were grim. After being stripped of his Olympic medals, he lived in poverty while taking odd jobs and battling alcoholism. His status faded into obscurity as he struggled with health and financial insecurity until his death in 1953.
Reggie Bush
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Reggie was electrifying on the field, but retirement dimmed the lights. Lingering injuries, mental health struggles, and the emotional whiplash of stepping away from the game left him reeling. He’s spoken openly about regret and the toll football took, both physically and mentally. Though his bank account didn’t empty like others on this list, the personal cost was just as steep.
Rollie Fingers
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Sometimes, even Hall of Famers need a side hustle. Fingers had a solid MLB career and a not-so-solid post-baseball bank account. Timeshares, wind turbines, and a string of head-scratching investments left him drowning in debt. At one point, he took a sales job paying $50k a year just to stay afloat.
Eddy Curry
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Curry’s post-NBA life reads like a cautionary tale in financial mismanagement. He defaulted on a $570,000 loan with nearly 85% interest and racked up $1.2 million in debt. Court documents revealed he was spending $17,000 a month on rent, $6,000 on a personal chef, and supporting multiple relatives while owning a dozen cars. His wages were already garnished, and foreclosure loomed over his $3.7 million Chicago home—all while barely playing due to injury.
Claus Lundekvam
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Most Premier League fans remember him as Southampton’s steady captain. Behind the scenes, however, Lundekvam was crumbling. After retirement, he spiraled into addiction by relying on drugs and alcohol just to feel anything. His story didn’t go public until he entered rehab and admitted how close he’d come to death.
Trey Hardee
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World champion decathlete. Olympic silver medalist. And then silence. When the competition stopped, so did his sense of purpose. Years after retirement, Hardee hit a wall in a hotel room and struggled to define life without a finish line. He’s since sought therapy and found a new path as a coach and commentator, but the detour was darker than most people knew.
Terrell Owens
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Owens struggled once the NFL stopped calling. A mix of financial mismanagement, child support obligations, and a duplicitous financial adviser eroded his savings. Despite repeated attempts to return to the game, he found himself cut off from the sport and the lifestyle.
Kenny Anderson
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Anderson’s 14-year NBA career brought in over $63 million, yet he was bankrupt within years of retirement. He had seven children by five different women, and his monthly child support payments topped $40,000. Combined with poor financial planning, the strain emptied his accounts. He’s since pursued education and coaching to stabilize.
Derrick Coleman
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Coleman’s post-NBA life was derailed by the 2008 economic crash. He had poured money into Detroit real estate developments that collapsed when the housing market imploded. At one point, he owed nearly $5 million in debt. His high-end watch collection and luxury lifestyle did nothing to cushion the financial hit.
Marco Pantani
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The “Pirate” of cycling once conquered both the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia. But fame and victory faded fast after doping scandals. What followed was isolation, substance abuse, and a tragic descent into depression. In 2004, Pantani was found unresponsive in a hotel room from a substance overdose.
Mike Tyson
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Despite earning around $400 million throughout his boxing career, Mike Tyson filed for bankruptcy in 2003. Extravagant spending on mansions, luxury cars, jewelry, and even pet tigers quickly ate away at his fortune. Costly legal battles and unpaid taxes left him struggling financially after years of being one of boxing’s biggest earners.
Allen Iverson
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Allen Iverson was once the face of the NBA, earning over $200 million from contracts and endorsements. But after retirement, a combination of lavish spending, legal issues, and poor financial management drained his wealth. Stories of unpaid jewelry bills and locked-up trust funds paint a sobering picture of his money troubles.