Sports
I’m a former NBA champion and earned over $100m – I lost it all and now work trying to stop young stars doi… – The US Sun
ANTOINE Walker had it all when he retired.
But after two years removed from the NBA, the former champion filed for bankruptcy.
Walker, an NCAA champion and NBA title holder, was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft.
He became a three-time All-Star with the Boston Celtics, and he won an NBA title with the Miami Heat, Dwayne Wade, and Shaquille O'Neal in 2006.
The scoring flamethrower was a menace with the ball, averaging over 20 points per game in five seasons in the NBA.
During his 12 years in the association, Walker racked up over $100million in contract earnings.
However, in 2010, just two years after retiring from basketball, the NBA veteran announced he was bankrupt.
He explained how it all went wrong to USA Today, revealing: "That process of me playing in the NBA created a very expensive lifestyle for myself.
"I lived a very good lifestyle where I took care of not only myself, (but) my brothers and sisters. I was the oldest of six, so I watched my mom raise us by herself.
"I have two kids of my own… and I brought friends along on the journey as well. I ran with a group of friends, seven or eight of us that grew up in the same neighborhood.
"I kind of took them on this journey with me throughout the NBA and made sure that they enjoyed the fruits of my labor too.
"In the process of taking care of (friends and family) and myself and creating a lifestyle for myself, seven years into my career I decided I wanted to venture off into real estate.
"Eventually, four years down the line, it ended up going bad.
"Recession hit, 2007, 2008… The downfall, the mistake that I made, was being the personal guarantor of the real estate company and putting up my personal financial portfolio in order to get these loans and this money."
Now, after realizing his mistakes, he looks to prevent others from repeating his same fault.
Walker serves as a legal consultant to Morgan Stanley Global Sports and Entertainment.
In 2014, the former All-Rookie helped launch a financial education program introduced to guide young athletes down the right path and prevent them from the same perils Walker had to endure.
The now 47-year-old is also a basketball analyst on TV in his spare time, too.
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