From Bankruptcy to Barista: How One Former NBA Star Found True Happiness

Vin Baker played in the NBA for 13 years.  He was a four-time NBA All-Star. He earned over $100 million in earnings. He won an Olympics gold medal in 2000.

And now, he’s a barista at Starbucks.

What happened? Something that happens to far too many athletes and celebrities – they blow all their money, their careers end, and they are broke.

ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series profiled many former athletes in “Broke.” Many of those stories had unhappy endings.

But Vin Baker is determined to do the right thing.

The Providence Journal recently profiled Baker:

It’s also the same Baker who battled alcoholism toward the end of his career. That addiction, plus a series of financial missteps ranging from a failed restaurant to simply too many hands dipping into his gold-plated cookie jar, combined to wipe out nearly $100 million in earnings.

Now 43, newly married and with four children, Baker is training to manage a Starbucks franchise. He thanks CEO Howard Shultz, the former Seattle SuperSonics owner, with this opportunity. He’s also a trained minister who savors work at his father’s church in Connecticut. Most important, he has been sober for more than four years.

Baker went on to discuss what this broken road has taught him:

“When you learn lessons in life, no matter what level you’re at financially, the important part to realize is it could happen,” he said. “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.”

There are important lessons here for all of us, whether you are someone who is at the peak of professional success or someone grappling with immense personal failure.

There is still hope, but you must persevere and you must commit to doing the hard work. Thank you, Vin Baker, for inspiring all of us.

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