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But look how long he retied, Had he not done stuff outside his 25 million before taxes, agent fees, La cost of living he would have been broke. What 5 million could have bought back then cant today. So he would have been broke not being able to afford his house land taxes working a regular 9-5 and people saying he blew his money. And thats with Magic money. Now picture the guy that did not do what Magic did or made what magic made. You can do everything right and still find yourself broke. You're making money on the front end and retiring young but the bills and inflation dont stop. Yes some are idiots and blew money on cars boats etc but thats what not having money being young and all of a sudden do looks like. If one knows better they would do better. It's like Rappers looking tacky wearing excessive watches, chains, cloths, gold teeth driving expensive cars flexing vs building functioning safe communities. They doing the opposite They think they are flexing not really understanding what wealth is.

 

Poor thing

Rich Paul on why athletes have the hardest jobs in the world: “When an athlete makes money, everybody around them stop working”


Off The Court
Rich Paul on why athletes have the hardest jobs in the world: “When an athlete makes money, everybody around them stop working”
Paul explained the biggest financial trap athletes face.

Aug 10, 2026 7:19 AM EDT

By Jonas Panerio
Sr. NBA Writer at Basketball Network


Watching athletes who have dedicated their entire lives to reaching the big leagues finally see their dreams come true is a beautiful thing. Nothing screams “I finally made it” more than signing a big-money contract that can transform an athlete’s life for the better, going from living in the projects and barely making ends meet to keep the lights on to living in a gated community with enough money in a bank account to afford their wants and needs.

But unbeknownst to many, that money can dry up quickly, not just because of the taxes, but more so because of the financial responsibilities an athlete has, not just to himself but also to his immediate family and extended family members.

They all come out of the woodwork
With the media covering every development in the NBA, nothing escapes fans and observers, including the contracts that players sign and the figures involved. Once word gets out, that player’s “family” immediately expands with supposed “aunties,” “uncles” and long-lost relatives all coming out of the woodwork, hoping to get a piece of the pie.

According to Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, it’s a common pitfall many pro athletes fall into and a substantial reason they struggle to hold on to the money they have worked extremely hard for.

“Athletes have the hardest job in the world. They take everybody to work with them. You at work, you at work, nobody with you,” Paul explained. “But they take everybody to work with them.”

“Because of that, it’s a very difficult thing to become a professional athlete. Not to mention $100 million, really $50 million after taxes. Now you gotta multiply that times your dependents, then break it down from there,” he added.

 

Paul is spot on and he's seen it. You won't know it until you're in it. More money more set of problems. I have seen people said if they win lotto they would be the same and won't change. What they don't get is they can't even if they wanted to. It's almost next to impossible. That's exactly how you go broke again and on top of that falls in the category of not knowing what to do. Higher a financial advisor then what come next? won't go so far as they work the hardest but they do put in a lot of work. The type of work some people may look at as playing a game but it still taxing. By retirement these guys have bad knees, Crooked broken fingers, bad hips, busted feet, may have had a major injury, etc. it also don't take into account being on the road can't live the normal family life which end up being another set of expenses.

 

100% this

Can't stop working or you go stale

 

You are correct and some do. The reality is when they work regularly jobs people say they went broke after making millions. Thats not the image of an nba player. That's the point being made. The tech guys you're talking about finished college with masters and went into a career one they can be consults and work part time. He can do that job until he die. He don't all of a sudden become a security guard. The nba has a number of guys not finishing college then spending years in the nba. you just can't pick up where yo left off in college being out the field and have no experience. So yes the point is they still work can't retire and can't live off the millions they made with their expenses taxes and fees and what ever else life throws at them and their family.


So for me the only ones I see being silly is the one that goes to clubs spending on tots, buying the silly things to attract the tots, role deep with broke friends and be broke in the end. It also has those. So it has all sorts. Not all on the extreme side like VIn Baker, West. Ai is an example of someone needing to help him manage money.

Even Kobe said if he had to do it all over again he won't give family members money but interest them up to make money. He learned that after not as a high school teenager.

 

Again unless you're one of the top money makers in the nba you dont automatically strike it rich like some think. So the average guy can't move like a LeBron a Westbrook. Etc. unless you got that big payday or strike endorsement deals. You did not establish generational wealth and could be broke in 5 years without a backup plan. Those that hang around the gleague are mostly chasing a pip dream. They might get 250k


The average retirement age for an NBA player is roughly 27 to 29 years old. This age aligns closely with the general average age of players in the league, which hovers around 26 to 27, because the average NBA career lasts only about 4.5 to 5 year

 

Yes, whatever but Rich Paul said it's the hardest job in the world

He can acknowledge that professional athletes work extremely hard without pretending that their working conditions are the hardest on Earth.

 

LOL... Rich Paul is f***ing moron.

 

Well yeah thats nuts on his part.

 

spot on cookie.as someone who works in tech you know exactly what you’re talking about. You never want to stop. You want to keep going.

 

The whole projects narrative is a tired one. I grew up in a gated community because my mom worked her a** off. The whole the ghetto thing and projects for so black people or athletes is a lame narrative.

it’s hard for some people but we gotta get off that s***. As stated 30 year olds and 40 year olds need to keep working.


You will have leeches. And they do it a certain way. People will say hey let’s get a house we can air bNb it and rent it out. Happened to me. They said they knew everything about it. I had to get my real estate lady to do background on it and we found out the area is a low air bNb area for revenue. I was gonna have my buisness partner in a bad deal. But you know this person just said we had to do it cause the realtor she got said the area is so good for that and it would be a great buy.

I had to vet first and found out it wasn’t good. Then had to tell that girl to kick rocks. cause I realized she just was trying to get me to make this buy.

it happens a lot. People want to get you into restaurants buy developments. You know what get me in a deal that’s gonna make money.

how about getting me into Inglewood before 2018 look at it now. Sofi intuit events super bowls World Cup. Olympics. Buy some property around there.

Shaq used to have his restaurant around L.A. crypto. He’s got a smart money guy.


You know what would be a great investment for Austin Reaves a top golf. Very popular franchise built in market. And a sport he likes.


sometimes athletes let the guys take their money and run wild that’s how you have Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard. Cause they let people just do stuff.

I’ve had people f*** my stuff over. Because I had people say oh they’re good. Now I vet everything. You learn.


Rich Paul that’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard. just ignorant. It’s the hardest job to be a professional athlete. No it’s not. The hardest job is being a police officer working in as a firefighter military. Those are hard jobs.


you play a game. Go be smart and not mess your money up. You can take out of that money if it’s 50 million or even 25 million a Million 1 million and say this is for everybody the cousins groupies the hanger ons the clubs the investments. When this 1 million is gone that’s it.

Take the other million house for mom. And then you’re good. Put the rest in bonds and have your money work for you.

I was 19 and I asked a guy what’s the key to making money? He said Bonds just put your money in bonds.

Nobody tells these guys that. Rich Paul isn’t saying that. Rich Paul is a glorified yes man. Say everything for the player so you’re the players agent.

Sometimes you gotta make smart moves not the popular ones. Any of you all here of the Bobby Bonilla deal? Read up on it.

Ohtani getting deferred that’s genius. He’s going to be getting 65 million a year for 10 years after he retires he gets like 6 million a year now. He gets it.