Allen Iverson earned $155million during his 17-year NBA career, reports www.talksport.com.
But his fast lifestyle off the court saw him blow through the money.
In 2012, The Washington Post claimed Iverson told his then wife Tawanna Turner that he couldn't afford a cheeseburger during divorce proceedings.
He filed for bankruptcy that year.
Including endorsements, Iverson is believed to have earned more than $200million at this point in his career.
But his spending habits meant he was unable to keep up.
The former Denver Nuggets guard boasted a collection of luxury cars, which included a Lamborghini Murcielago, Mercedes Maybach 57S, and Bentley Continental GT.
He infamously gave the Bentley to rookie Philadelphia 76ers teammate Larry Hughes on a whim in 1998.
“Larry is standing there, and he’s in this… daze," Iverson wrote in a Players' Tribune article.
"He’s in a Bentley daze. Just looking at it…and then looking at me…and then he’s just, like, ‘Yo….. AI. I have to get me one of these.’
“I don’t even hesitate. ‘Bro, you can have mine.’”
Hilariously, the Bentley's tank was empty - leaving Hughes stranded in west Philadelphia for hours in what he thinks was a hazing prank to this day.
Hughes shared what it was like being introduced to Iverson as a rookie.
“When I came into the league, we had a lockout, so we weren’t necessarily getting NBA checks, but if you had any endorsements, obviously those things were still happening," he told Hoops Hype in
2020.
"So when I went to the bank, I went to the ATM machine, and I put my card in and got a couple of dollars out for the day.
"But I went to the bank with Allen Iverson one day; he didn’t go to the ATM. He didn’t go into the bank to talk to the teller either. He actually went into the vault.
“This was really the first interaction I had with someone who had a lot of money.
"When they gave Allen his money, it was still wrapped in plastic, and that was something completely different than I’d ever seen.”
Iverson, who also played for the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies, was famously generous and Fox Sports claimed he supported an entourage of around 50 people at one point.
His passion for fashion and luxury jewelry added to his financial struggles.
Another ex-Philly teammate, Matt Barnes, told Sports Illustrated that Iverson would often drop sums in strip clubs.
“He’d throw US$30,000, US$40,000 every time we went,” Barnes said.
“I’m like, ‘You realise what I can do with this money?’”
Thankfully, Iverson - nicknamed The Answer for his resourcefulness on the court - has managed to turn things around.
"I didn’t have a plan. I was 21 years old. I was on the fly. I never had money before in my life,” he told Afrotech.
Possibly the best decision Iverson ever made was his partnership with Reebok.
The lifetime deal saw him receive a yearly income of $800,000 - and he will scoop a $32million trust fund when he turns 55 in six years.
He joined the sportswear brand as vice-president of the basketball division last year.
His president is NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal.
Essentially Sports report that Iverson is working with ex-NBA star Al Harrington - the founder of cannabis company Viola - and launched his own strain.
Iverson's net worth is estimated at $1million.
And while that figure is a long way off the fortune he lost, things are pointing in the right direction for the gifted athlete and budding entrepreneur.
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