Another star athlete has gone bankrupt! What happened to this familiar former Lakers player?

The last time I wrote about Ariza was in 2021.

At that time, at 36 years old, he returned to wear the Lakers' number 1 jersey after many years of ups and downs.

I'm sure long-time fans remember Ariza's significant contributions during the Lakers' championship run in the 08-09 season, especially that brilliant steal.

In the first game of the Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets, with 30.5 seconds left and the Nuggets trailing by 2 points, they attempted an inbounds pass, but Anthony Carter's pass was intercepted by Ariza, completely destroying the Nuggets' hopes of a comeback.

In Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, with 37 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Lakers leading by 2 points, the Nuggets had the ball. Ariza stole the ball from Anthony, causing Melo to foul out with six fouls. Kobe then made all four free throws, and the Lakers regained home-court advantage with a 2-1 lead.

Back then, he wasKobe's little brother,the knight in shining armor.

Despite this, Ariza's development did not meet expectations later on.

Especially when he first joined the Rockets, it felt somewhat like forcing growth, but he proved throughout his career that he was a valuable role player.

But that's all in the past.

The reason I'm writing about Ariza today is that he has gone bankrupt...

According to reports from American media,Ariza has officially filed for bankruptcy protection in court and is seeking personal debt restructuring.

The U.S. personal bankruptcy system is a "restart mechanism" granted by law to debtors.

It resolves debt crises through liquidation or reorganization, but at the cost of damaged credit. It is not essentially about evading debts, but rather achieving limited forgiveness of debt responsibilities under court supervision, balancing the interests of creditors and debtors.

Through this process, the debtor's assets and debts will be liquidated or reorganized under court supervision to achieve partial debt relief or restructuring, providing the debtor with an opportunity for economic rebirth.

Seeing this news, it's hard to say how shocked I am.

Ariza is not the first, and he won't be the last.

There are many NBA players who have filed for bankruptcy or fallen into difficult situations.

For example, Shawn Kemp.

Nicknamed "Reign Man," he earned nearly $100 million in the NBA but faced financial ruin due to having 11 children with six women, resulting in high child support payments, ultimately declaring bankruptcy.

Another example is Antoine Walker.

With career earnings exceeding $108 million, he had a penchant for expensive jewelry, cars, and gambling. In 2011, he declared bankruptcy due to owing $770,000 to casinos.

Additionally, there's Ariza's former teammate Lamar Odom.

His wealth was completely consumed by drug abuse, gambling, and a lavish lifestyle. In 2025, he was taken to court by his landlord for failing to pay $45,000 in rent.

Not to mention the money, Odom nearly lost his life.

For NBA players, the reasons for bankruptcy generally fall into a few categories:

1.Uncontrolled spending

After suddenly acquiring massive wealth, they often become extravagant.

Luxury cars, beautiful women, and partying friends all need to be maintained... After retirement, income drops sharply, but they struggle to change their spending habits, leading to financial shortfalls.

2.

Investment failures

For instance, investing in real estate or stocks...

3.

Poor lifestyle choices

Such as gambling.

4.

Marital issues

Divorce is one of the common reasons for star athletes going bankrupt.

During a divorce, athletes often have to pay high alimony and child support.

It's not an exaggeration to say that many women aim to marry NBA players just to get a divorce...

As for Ariza, he has been unemployed since retiring, with zero income each month.

After divorcing his ex-wife, he needs to pay $24,000 in child support and $4,000 in spousal support every month.

Currently, he owes the bank $230,000 and has a mortgage of $4.7 million.

In addition to alimony and child support, his monthly expenses exceed $37,000, which includes $18,800 for the mortgage, $4,300 for car expenses, and $3,300 for car loans.

Ariza claims that his ex-wife, Bria, drives a luxury car and owns property but refuses to work or provide financial support, despite being capable of doing so.

Although Ariza's total career earnings amount to $116 million, after deducting agent fees and taxes, he may only take home around $50 million.

If he had normal spending habits and a stable family life, it would have been manageable.

However... the monthly child support alone is quite substantial.

How can Ariza truly make a comeback?

In the future, relying solely on the NBA pension will be very difficult.

Reemployment for retired players is definitely a direction to consider, such as appearing on shows.

But a more realistic point is to raise his son well.