40+ NBA Stars Who Have Regular Jobs After Stepping Off the Court
Being an NBA player has its perks, but it’s not really the kind of job that you can do long-term. Some players manage to stay on top of their game for a decade or two (we’re looking at you, LeBron James), but they all eventually have to hang up their jerseys and call it quits.
Adrian Dantley — School Crossing Guard
Over the course of his 15-season-long career in the NBA, Dantley played for everyone from the LA Lakers to the Dallas Mavericks and finished his career as a six-time NBA All-Star and an Olympic gold medalist before being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Image via Wikipedia
Following his retirement, Dantley spent eight seasons as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets. His life took a wild turn after that, and he started working at a low-paying job as a school crossing guard in Maryland. He took this job because it provides him with medical benefits and a chance to work with the youth, but he also works as a referee for a high school and recreational league games in his local community.
Detlef Schrempf — Business Development Officer
Detlef Schrempf was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 1985, kicking off his 16-year-long NBA career. He went on to play for the Indiana Pacers, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Portland Trail Blazers before calling it quits in 2001.
Image via lam chihang/Wikipedia
He had a short stint as an assistant coach with the Seattle SuperSonics but later decided to put his degree in international business to some good use. He joined the wealth management firm Coldstream Capital as the business development officer but also gave acting a shot on a couple of episodes of Parks and Recreation.
Brandon Roy — High School Basketball Coach
Brandon Roy kicked off his NBA career with high expectations, but his time with the Portland Trail Blazers was cut short due to a serious knee injury. He tried to make a comeback with the Minnesota Timberwolves but made his retirement official after just five games with this team.
Imager via Keith Allison/Wikipedia
Like many former basketball players, Roy decided to give coaching a shot, and it’s proven to be the right fit. He worked as the head coach for the boys’ basketball team in Nathan Hale High School and Garfield High School in Seattle and even won the Naismith National award for High School Coach of the Year.
Scottie Pippen — Livestock Farmer
Scottie Pippen won six NBA championships during his time with the Chicago Bulls, but his career went downhill once he parted ways with this team. After spending some time with the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers, he reunited with the Bulls but eventually had to accept the fact that it was time to wave goodbye.
Image by ChinaImages/Depositphotos
Pippen took a somewhat unconventional career choice after his retirement and started running a livestock farm in Arkansas. He also released his own bourbon brand, Digits, and wrote a memoir titled Unguarded, published in 2021.
Charlie Ward — Coach and Host
Ward found enormous success as a quarterback during his college years but decided to turn to basketball after not being drafted by the NFL. He spent an entire decade with the New York Knicks, followed by short spells with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rocket before retiring in 2005.
Image by ProShooter/Depositphotos
Ward went on to discover his love for coaching and accepted the head coaching position at his son’s school Booker T. Washington High School in Pensacola, Florida. He went on to become the head coach of the boys' basketball team for Florida State University Schools, in addition to hosting his show Chalk Talk with Charlie Ward.
Karl Malone — Businessman
Also known by the nickname “the Mailman”, Karl Malone went down in history as one of the greatest power forwards of all time. During his 18 seasons in the NBA, he spent most of his time with the Utah Jazz and finished his career with 36,928 points and 14-time NBA All-Star titles.
Image by Colorsport/Shutterstock (3091528a )
Malone famously got into trucking after his NBA career was over, but his business portfolio expanded in the years to come. He’s a passionate hunter but also owns a number of different businesses according to his interview with Deseret News, ranging from a cattle ranch to a teriyaki grill and cigar and vape shop.
Shawn Kemp — Business and Hospitality
Over the course of his 14-year-long NBA career, Kemp played for the Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Orlando Magic, and became a six-time NBA All-Star. His attempts to make a comeback were unsuccessful and he eventually turned to other business ventures.
Image via Bryan Horowitz/Wikipedia
He opened a sports bar called Oskar's Kitchen in Seattle but closed it down in 2015 due to high rent costs. He now co-owns the restaurant Amber's Kitchen and controls an interest in several Seattle venues—including a cannabis dispensary named Kemp's Cannabis.
Darko Milicic — Apple Farmer
Darko Milicic was the second overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft for the Detroit Pistons, but he proved to be a huge draft bust. He failed to play at the level expected of him and jumped around the league before retiring in 2012, following a short stint with the Boston Celtics.
Image via k1k0/Wikipedia
After his retirement from the NBA, Milicic returned to his home country of Serbia and gave kickboxing a shot with little success. He found his true calling after deciding to buy a farm, and he now operates a 125-acres apple orchard, with plans for further expansion.
LaRue Martin — Community Services Manager
LaRue Martin showed great potential in his youth and the Portland Trail Blazers thought they struck gold when they drafted him in 1972. That couldn’t be further from the truth, and he went down in history as one of the worst first overall draft picks in NBA history.
Image via Wikipedia
Luckily, that didn’t stop him from building a successful career after retiring from basketball in 1976. He joined UPS in the mid-80s and was eventually promoted to community services manager. Martin is also very active in his local community and serves on the National Basketball Retired Players Association Board of Directors.
Chris Andersen — Big 3 League
During his time in the NBA, Chris "Birdman" Andersen was better known for his colorful tattoos than his accomplishments on the floor. In 2006, he got a two-year ban from the NBA for violating the anti-drug policy, but managed to make a comeback and played for several teams, including the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat.
Image by Mediapunch/Shutterstock (4088740d)
Andersen played his last NBA game for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2016-2017 season. After that, he played in the BIG3 league and won the league championship in 2018. He now plays for Power in the Big3 league.
Vin Baker — Assistant Coach
Baker kicked off his 13-year-long NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks and went on to play for such teams as the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. His path was pretty rocky following his retirement in 2006, but he managed to get back on his feet.
Image by Ricky Bassman/CSM/Shutterstock (8325920t)
Baker reportedly lost over $100 million due to financial troubles after struggling with depression and alcoholism and spent some time working as a manager at Starbucks. He turned things around in 2018 when he joined the Bucks as their assistant coach.
Tim Duncan — Auto Shop Owner and Coach
One of the greatest power forwards in NBA history, Tim Duncan spent almost two decades with the San Antonio Spurs before retiring in 2016. He is remembered by his iconic nickname “the Big Fundamental” and his amazing accomplishments earned him a place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Image by Timo Jaakonaho/Shutterstock (489518n)
His playing days may be behind him, but Duncan joined forces with the Spurs as an assistant coach during the 2019-2020 season. He also runs the auto body shop BlackJack Speed Shop, which organized supplies for victims of Hurricane Harvey in collaboration with his charity the Tim Duncan Foundation.
Michael Ray Richardson — Youth Camp Teacher
Michael "Sugar" Ray Richardson’s NBA career was off to a good start before he was banned for life in 1986 for violation of the league's drug policy. He was eventually reinstated, but never wanted to go back to the NBA, and spent the next 14 years of his career playing basketball in Europe.
Image via Wikipedia
Following his retirement, Richardson worked as a coach for almost a decade, and he’s spending his time helping the youth. He works as a teacher at youth basketball clinics alongside his former teammate Otis Birdsong. He also spent some time working at a financial firm and running a beauty salon with his wife.
Derrick Coleman — Water Supplier
Derrick Coleman’s NBA career was off to a good start, but he didn’t manage to live up to the high expectations people had from him. After kicking things off with the New Jersey Nets, he played for the Sixers, the Hornets, and the Pistons before retiring after 15 years.
Image by 8963067d(8963067d)
Coleman found a way to give back to the community after the water crisis started in Flint, Michigan. He drove around town, 65 miles a day, to bring residents clean bottled water and eating utensils.
Steve Francis — Entrepreneur
Francis was named co-NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season but went on to face many ups and downs throughout his career. He played for the Houston Rockets, the Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks, before finishing his career with the Chinese team the Beijing Ducks.
Image by Shutterstock (408728p)
His life was pretty rocky following his retirement, as he dealt with many legal troubles and failed businesses. His hip-hop label Mazerati Music and clothing brand We r One didn’t live up to their potential, but he also tried to run a construction company, a boxing promotions business, and a barbershop.
Latrell Sprewell — Pitchman
Sprewell has always been considered somewhat a controversial figure, and his accomplishments were overshadowed by a 1997 incident in which he choked and punched his coach during practice. He received 68-game suspensions for this incident, but that wasn’t the end of his troubles.
Image by ProShooter (174786868 )
Sprewell faced many legal issues following his retirement in 2005, from crashing his yacht to being sued for $200 million by an ex-girlfriend. He also worked as a pitchman for Priceline and is reportedly worth just $50,000 today.
Wilt Chamberlain — Everything
Wilt Chamberlain is one of the NBA’s biggest legends of all time, and he still holds many major records to this day. He retired from basketball in 1973, after 15 years of setting new grounds in this sport, and kept himself pretty busy until passing away in 1999.
Image via Fred Palumbo/Wikipedia
From playing volleyball to running several businesses, the Big Dipper dipped his toes into every job pool possible. He invested in real estate, stocks, ran nightclubs, founded a production company, appeared in movies, and truly made the best of his post-NBA career.
Gilbert Arenas — Host and Podcaster
Gilbert Arenas was the 31st overall pick in the 2001 draft, and no one really expected much of him, but he managed to exceed everyone’s wildest expectations. He had a successful run with the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards, but his career ended shortly after leaving the Wizards.
Image by ChinaImages / Depositphotos (241586960)
Arenas earned enough money playing basketball to never work a day in his life, but he couldn’t simply sit still. He became a sports analyst and broadcaster, hosting a daily sports show on Complex News' YouTube channel and starting his own The No Chill Podcast.
Kenny Anderson — University Coach
Kenny Anderson spent almost 15 years playing point guard in the NBA, but we wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t remember his name. He switched between more teams than we can count, spending most of his time with the Boston Celtics.
Image via Neil Grabowsky / Wikipedia
He turned to coaching after his retirement, but his life came crashing down after a DUI arrest in 2013. Luckily, he managed to get back on his feet and went back to coaching in 2018, as a head basketball coach for Fisk University.
Jay Williams — Analyst and Consultant
Jay Williams’ NBA career was over before it truly began. He was drafted second overall in 2001 by the Chicago Bulls, but his career was practically over after a motorcycle accident in 2003. He tried to make a comeback in 2006 with the Austin Toros, but was quickly let go because the lingering pain from the accident enabled him from competing at the top level.
Image by Shutterstock (5249463ad)
His NBA days are long behind him, but Williams enjoyed a successful career as an NBA analyst for ESPN, in addition to working as a spokesman for Visions Federal Credit Union and co-founding a management consulting company Simatree.