Bob McAdoo, Walt Bellamy, and Chris Paul all hail from North Carolina but they still weren't able or haven't created a legacy for themselves like 'Big Game' James. Born in Gastonia, North Carolina, James Worthy went on to lead his home state North Carolina Tar Heels to an NCAA National Championship in 1982. Worthy was named College Basketball Player of the Year and the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player. With a resume like that under his belt, Worthy was drafted first overall in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers where he would play his entire twelve-year career.
Sometimes people forget that if James Worthy wasn't around, the 'Showtime' era the LA Lakers embodied throughout the '80s wouldn't exist without James. His ability to catch flight, change direction, and float in the air was uncanny. Worthy played unselfish basketball and was always in the right place at the right time. He helped the Lakers win three NBA Championships (1985, 1987, 1988), was named NBA Finals MVP in 1988, and was a 7x NBA All-Star. To this very day, James is an important part of the Lakers organization working as an analyst on the team's broadcast television network.
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.