Yao Ming
We do not think that any other player joined the NBA with as much hype as Yao Ming did. It was a good thing that this 7’6” center did not disappoint! He was picked for the All-Star team 8 out of 10 seasons. Naturally, he was also the de facto basketball ambassador to China. His popularity helped basketball explode all over Asia. After his retirement, he has appeared in the limelight a few times. In 2016, he received an induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Dividing his time between Houston and Beijing, he was recently elected as the Chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association. Aside from this, he owns the Shanghai Sharks, his former team. He is active in several charities as well.
Yao Ming
Antoine Walker
Do you know why they consider Antoine Walker to be a cautionary tale of sorts? This Chicago native was good at scoring from anywhere on the court and went on to join three All-Star teams. However, he had financial issues that squandered the $108 million he earned during the course of his career. As of 2013, he was finally free from debt. He managed to turn his life around and sort out his financial issues at last. He has been working for Morgan Stanley and educating athletes on managing their money for the past four years. Aside from this, he has also worked as an analyst for sports television shows and radio networks.
Antoine Walker