Vin Baker...from All Star to "Would you like foam on that?"

[Rock Strongo]

Vin Baker blew nearly $100 million and is now training to be a Starbucks manager - Business Insider

An ex-NBA player who blew nearly $100 million is turning his life around while working at Starbucks

• CORK GAINES
  

• Jul. 29, 2015, 11:11 AM
• 12,251
• 
  Vin Baker played 14 seasons in the NBA with six different teams and made $97.4 million in his career as a basketball player. Now Baker is embarking on a new career as a Starbucks manager.
  
  Baker is working as a barista at a Starbucks in North Kingstown, Rhode Island as part of his training to become a manager, according to Kevin McNamara of the Providence Journal.
  
  Baker's road to this career was a rocky one, but he appears to have some good perspective on his struggles.
  
  He told McNamara:
  
  "I was an alcoholic, I lost a fortune. I had a great talent and lost it. For the people on the outside looking in, they’re like 'Wow.’ For me, I’m 43 and I have four kids. I have to pick up the pieces. I’m a father. I’m a minister in my father’s church. I have to take the story and show that you can bounce back. If I use my notoriety in the right way, most people will appreciate that this guy is just trying to bounce back in his life."
  
  In 2008, he had his $3 million home in Durham, Connecticut foreclosed on for failing to pay his mortgage. Earlier that year, a restaurant Baker was a part-owner of also went out of business and in 2014 he was forced to auction of the gold medal he won at the 2000 Olympics.
  
  "If you don’t have perspective in your personal life and you don’t understand what this $1 million or $15 million means, it will go," he said.
  
  In addition, the four-time All-Star says he battled alcoholism toward the end of his playing career, but has now been sober for four years.
  
  While most would lament the loss of a fortune and the lifestyle that comes with it, Baker sounds upbeat.
  
  “For me this could have ended most likely in jail or death. That’s how these stories usually end,” Baker told the Journal. “For me to summon the strength to walk out here and get excited about retail management at Starbucks and try to provide for my family, I feel that’s more heroic than being 6-11 with a fade-away jump shot. I get energy from waking up in the morning and, first of all, not depending on alcohol, and not being embarrassed or ashamed to know I have a family to take care of. The show’s got to go on.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Baker has also spent time as an assistant coach for Jason Kidd and the Milwaukee Bucks Summer League team, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo.
  
  While there, Baker spoke to the players about his downfall and recovery, telling Spears, “The biggest mistake I made was trying to keep basketball as the priority. All the flags were around me. Life is bigger than the sport itself. When you have agents, fans, friends, family pushing basketball and all the other stuff gets kind of pushed under the rug when the signs are there that there is an issue. You got to make life the priority before someone else makes it a priority."
  

 

[Rock Strongo]

"i bought the world a drink, and everyone showed"

derek sanderson

 

[Rock Strongo]

no joke, i may go in and see vin.

i was a huge fan of his, especially when the celtics got him (i hoped he would be reborn here)...but i was unaware he was probably drunk at the time.

 

[tducey]

It's good to see him get his life in order but surely these guys can spend their money more wisely can't they?

 

[HammerDown]

Dude sounds humble. If he was willing to work retail for his family, he can't be that bad.

 

[Cyder]

It's good to see him get his life in order but surely these guys can spend their money more wisely can't they?

The can but many don't. I remember Ron Artest's mother going nuts when he got his first contract but had 30 or 40 friends on his payroll. I think he was paying a guy to sit on the toilet and warm it before he went to the can.
Then again we rarely hear about the guy who made 50 million, retired and is living really well just on the interest. No one wants to write or read that story.

 

[Rock Strongo]

Dude sounds humble. If he was willing to work retail for his family, he can't be that bad.

yup

which is why id go meet him if i could.

 

[trojanfan12]

The can but many don't. I remember Ron Artest's mother going nuts when he got his first contract but had 30 or 40 friends on his payroll. I think he was paying a guy to sit on the toilet and warm it before he went to the can.
Then again we rarely hear about the guy who made 50 million, retired and is living really well just on the interest. No one wants to write or read that story.

Yeah, I've posted before that when Lamar Odom was married to Khloe Kardashian, my wife used to watch some show about it. She called me into the room one time when Lamar and Khloe were going through his finances.

It was shocking how many people he was paying rent for, buying cars or making car payments for or just flat out handing over cash to for their expenses. The majority of them weren't even doing anything for him (not even warming his toilet seat).

 

[GeekSportsFan]

You have to tip your hat to Mr. Baker. A lot of guys would have headed in the opposite direction. Good for him getting sober and focusing on his faith and family.

 

[Cyder]

Yeah, I've posted before that when Lamar Odom was married to Khloe Kardashian, my wife used to watch some show about it. She called me into the room one time when Lamar and Khloe were going through his finances.

It was shocking how many people he was paying rent for, buying cars or making car payments for or just flat out handing over cash to for their expenses. The majority of them weren't even doing anything for him (not even warming his toilet seat).

I remember when they started repoing Eric Curry's cars in the middle of his 50 mil contract. One of the things that was pointed out was that his cable bill was over $2000 a month. Jesus H Christ.

That's why I enjoyed reading about Gronk saying he never touches his football money. He lives off his endorsements and saves the rest.

 

[Cyder]

You have to tip your hat to Mr. Baker. A lot of guys would have headed in the opposite direction. Good for him getting sober and focusing on his faith and family.

Agreed. And hopefully he will have some kind of pension from the NBA that kicks in later in life.

 

[GeekSportsFan]

I remember when they started repoing Eric Curry's cars in the middle of his 50 mil contract. One of the things that was pointed out was that his cable bill was over $2000 a month. Jesus H Christ.

That's why I enjoyed reading about Gronk saying he never touches his football money. He lives off his endorsements and saves the rest.

I can't imagine myself at 23 or 24 and getting millions handed to me, and not screwing it up one way or the other.

 

[Cyder]

I can't imagine myself at 23 or 24 and getting millions handed to me, and not screwing it up one way or the other.

I know I would piss away some of it but I've always been terrified of ending up homeless so I would sock away some. Even now in my 40's and doing well financially I look at the homeless I pass on the walk from the train to work and it scares the hell out of me.

And clowns, I'm still scared of anyone crazy enough to dress up as a clown.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

WHAT! A feelgood story on the Hoop started by that ulta-libtard Rocko?

OUTRAGEOUS AND UNACCEPTABLE!

Good for Vin I say. Praise Jesus.

 

[Rock Strongo]

WHAT! A feelgood story on the Hoop started by that ulta-libtard Rocko?

OUTRAGEOUS AND UNACCEPTABLE!

Good for Vin I say. Praise Jesus.

how "ulta" am i?

 

[SoCalWizFan]

The can but many don't. I remember Ron Artest's mother going nuts when he got his first contract but had 30 or 40 friends on his payroll. I think he was paying a guy to sit on the toilet and warm it before he went to the can.
Then again we rarely hear about the guy who made 50 million, retired and is living really well just on the interest. No one wants to write or read that story.

Junior Bridgeman: A different kind of franchise player - Fortune

Yep - like this story @ Junior Bridgeman. He certainly wasn't making that much - relatively speaking - when he retired. However - he invested wisely & worked hard to the pt where he owns hundreds of Wendy's & Chiles franchises & is estimated to be worth perhaps as much as $400 million. These are stories you rarely hear about in today's media.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

how "ulta" am i?

"special ulta"

 

[Rock Strongo]

"special ulta"

thts god to kno. thnks fo tha.

 

[Cyder]

Junior Bridgeman: A different kind of franchise player - Fortune

Yep - like this story @ Junior Bridgeman. He certainly wasn't making that much - relatively speaking - when he retired. However - he invested wisely & worked hard to the pt where he owns hundreds of Wendy's & Chiles franchises & is estimated to be worth perhaps as much as $400 million. These are stories you rarely hear about in today's media.

I've been reading about this guy for years and always forget his name. That's a smart gentleman right there. Not only an elite athlete (Anyone making the NBA is) but incredibly intelligent. Every pro league in this country should have him lecture rookies.

 

[Fiero425]

I've been reading about this guy for years and always forget his name. That's a smart gentleman right there. Not only an elite athlete (Anyone making the NBA is) but incredibly intelligent. Every pro league in this country should have him lecture rookies.

I never could figure this guy out! He got that huge contract and I kept wondering WHY? It was warming the bench most of the time! Who's bright prospective thought he would be a champion? I can't even bother reading back on this huge mess of a life!