Bill Laimbeer is partially why the NBA is so soft today. If you wanted an elbow to the throat, an eye raked while an opposing player was headed to the basket in mid-air, or someone to just start a brawl in the midst of gameplay, Bill Laimbeer was your guy. Ok, so that's kind of dramatic being that Laimbeer did create an illustrious career for himself based off his skill, but he was known for being the anchor enforcer of the infamous Detroit Pistons 'Bad Boy' era and it showed.
Bill Laimbeer, born William Laimbeer Jr. was selected 65th overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He didn't receive much playing time so he took his talents overseas to play a season in Italy. It wasn't until he was traded to the Detroit Pistons in 1982 that he would blossom into a 4x NBA All-Star, an NBA Rebounding Leader (1986), and a 2x NBA Champion alongside Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Dennis Rodman. The ironic thing about Laimbeer's career in basketball is that he's become one of the greatest WNBA coaches of this current generation. Who knew that he was that level-headed?
Not all celebrities have fame and fortune, some are just famous – and in a ton of debt. They came from rags to riches, then went back to rags. Whether they’ve filed bankruptcy, ended up in court, or just can’t stop spending, celebrities mismanage their money just like everyone else. They just hide it well.
50 Cent coined the term “wanksta,” then “partied like it was his birthday” until he filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015. The rapper was said to be anywhere between $10 million and $50 million in debt. In 2016, a federal bankruptcy court judge in Connecticut approved a plan for the founder of G-Unit to pay his debts back. He was able to get his bankruptcy discharged in February of the following year.
Following a 45-year-long career in Hollywood, acting in more than 70 films, actor Gary Busey found himself in more debt than he was worth. In 2012, it was reported that Busey owed between $500,000 and $1 million worth of debt, but only had $50,000 to his name. The 74-year-old actor owed money to hospitals, banks, the L.A. Waterworks District, and even a storage company. He filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy that same year. Despite his longstanding career in Hollywood, Busey's net worth is now only $500,000.
Burt Reynolds is still worth five million dollars, but his battles with debt date back more than 20 years. Between bad investments and a pricey divorce from actress Loni Anderson, the 1970s superstar had to deal with over $10 million in debt and decided to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1996. While testifying in a 1994 custody hearing, the South Florida native said he spent $40 million getting through his divorce.
The former Hollywood bad boy, Charlie Sheen owes the IRS nearly $5 million. But that's not all. In 2016, his net worth was reportedly still as high as $150 million, but he was nonetheless $12 million in debt at the time – including mortgages, legal fees, and taxes. That same year, Debt.com reported Sheen owed nearly $300,000 on an American Express card alone.