NBA star earned $100 million, now broke working in starbucks

[Monello]

Why not structure your contract to pay you over 40-50 years and avoid all of this? Seems there's no shortage of assthlete that earned in the millions but doesn't have a pot to piss in.

Some how the author of the article wants to paint the NBA owner as the bad guy for Vin not being able to manage his money.

Meet Vin Baker.[FONT=Roboto, sans-serif]Vin was once one of the greatest players in the NBA, earning over $100 million dollars throughout his career. But things have changed for poor Vin, as he now finds himself at the bottom of the economic barrel, struggling along like the rest of us. [/FONT]
How bad have things gotten for Vin? Well, he’s now working at Starbucks. He’s not an owner, or even a manager. He’s the insanely tall brother asking you if you want whipped cream on your Caramel Latte.

I didn't realize that the league provided financial management to it's employees. So how is this not the athlete's fault? I can't find any evidence that Baker actually earned a degree while attending the University of Hartford. Perhaps if he took the time to take classes that would have benefited him in life he'd have a nest egg saved up.

If there is any story on this blog that you’re going to grow tired of reading, it’s the one about the former NBA or NFL athlete who is now broke and living with his mama. These stories are everywhere, and it has people wondering if the Harvard-educated financial managers being employed by professional sports leagues are actually helping these guys protect their wealth or if the players are being chewed up and spit out by people who could care less about them. Black athletes are valuable commodities to those who run NBA teams, as well as the managers, attorneys, universities and agents who are all seeking to bloodsuck a piece of their fortune along the way.

I wish someone would exploit me by paying me millions.

Baker gives credit for his Starbucks opportunity to CEO Howard Schultz, who owned the Seattle Supersonics during Vin’s time on the team from 1997 -2002. It’s ironic that Schultz would give Vin a chance to work behind the counter, but didn’t consider this college-educated black man for a position in the front office of an NBA team. This either says a lot about Schultz, a lot about Baker, or a lot about Schultz’s perception of Baker as a human being. It also reminds me of just how many great black athletes there are who can’t even get jobs as coaches at the same universities and NBA teams that exploited them many years ago

At least he isn't working at Mickey D's

 

[Monello]

Here's a video of the original story's author. He blames attorneys & sports agents for the exploitation of athletes.

 

[rhenderson]

Author of the original article is doing a hack job of Owners and the Leagues. From Wikipedia footnotes: Devine, Dan (Jul 18, 2015). "Former NBA All-Star Vin Baker is training to manage a Starbucks". Yahoo Sports!. Retrieved 28 July 2015.

Vin also has/had an alcohol problem by his own admission, including a DWI leaving a gambling casino. What these young men don't realize is that the money they are paid is not what they actually retain after commissions, taxes, etc. - especially interest. The sums of money they are hearing appear inexhaustible to them. A few bad major investments and all the things they thought they had salted away are foreclosed on or attached as court judgments.

 

[b23hqb]

College educated? Please tell me how you define "stupid" to reflect any kind of real "education"? So sad, too bad for Mr. Baker. No pity here for him, but kudos for his working at all.