Some say that if the Chicago Bulls would have never acquired Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan probably wouldn't have one six rings and his legacy wouldn't be what it is today. But forget the hypotheticals, Scottie Pippen, beat out high-quality talent like Joe Johnson and Glen Rice to earn his right as the NBA's king of Arkansas, hailing from Hamburg, Arkansas. Scottie's lanky 6'8 frame, huge hands, vision allowed him to become an anomaly out there on the professional hardwood. There wasn't a single thing on the court that he didn't excel at throughout his 21-year NBA career.
The 6x NBA Champion, 8x NBA All-Defensive First Team honoree, and 7x NBA All-Star has one of the most decorated Hall of Fame blazers hanging in his closet at this very moment. His defense allowed Michael Jordan to take over on the offensive side of the court and his vision made his teammates around him better. Scottie Pippen helped define the role of a perfect sidekick by embodying the role without letting his ego interfere with his team's one common goal. To win.
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.