April 25, 2025
Antoine Walker is using his experience of going broke after the NBA to offer financial literacy to rising athletes.
NBA champion Antoine Walker uses his experience from earning over $100 million during his career to declaring bankruptcy by 2010 to provide today’s rising professional athletes with essential financial literacy and guidance.
The NBA All-Star joined Ross Mac on the Financial Freestyle podcast, where he opened up about his path to financial rock bottom and how that experience led him to a new career in finance. Now, he works as a consultant, helping up-and-coming athletes steer clear of the pitfalls he once faced.
“When you’re making money…everything is going good — you’re buying cars, you got houses, you got jewelry, you got all these things going on,” Walker said. “But at some point, the money’s going to stop coming in the way it came in the beginning. Are you able and are you prepared to maintain that lifestyle?”
Walker was a dominant force in the NBA during the 1990s and early 2000s. Drafted by the Boston Celtics as the 6th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft at just 19 years old, he quickly rose to stardom, signing a six-year, $71 million contract by age 21. Over his 13-year career, he earned an estimated $108 million. However, a series of poor financial decisions and limited financial education ultimately led him to file for bankruptcy.
“The money came so fast without the education,” Walker said.
After losing it all, Walker began sharing his work as a consultant with Edyoucore, a financial literacy company dedicated to helping athletes take control of their finances. With college athletes now earning millions through NIL deals before even turning pro, Walker is eager to offer his guidance to the next generation of athletes, helping them navigate the financial challenges he once faced.
“I think it’s my job to kind of use the things that I did wrong and just help [others] out,” Walker told Mac. “I know the things that they want to do. I know the things that they’re buying. I know the things that they’re overlooking. … I try to put that back in their face and understand that this basketball career or any sports career is going to be short-lived, and you got a whole life to live after your career is over with.”
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