Most of us are not rich enough to have massive extravagances, in fact, the biggest extravagance most of us have these days is a subscription to Netflix! But while we can always sit and dream about the good life, remember, there have been so many athletes that have made massive purchases, that they have completely backfired on them, and have been some of the dumbest purchases ever made! Let’s have a look at a few choice examples…
Jack Clark
The former baseball player enjoyed an illustrious career with the San Francisco Giants, the St. Louis Cardinals as well as the mighty Boston Red Sox, but what wasn’t so mighty, was his predilection for fast cars. His hobby of purchasing expensive vehicles, including the Ferrari F40, accelerated his bankruptcy and forced him to sell up his $2.4 million California home! And, while we’ve seen some successes in buying property, or even, in some extreme circumstances, leaving the game altogether, such as Jason Brown quitting football, Mr Clark didn’t fare so well. Lots of athletes invest in property, and sites like SportsAfieldTrophyProperties.com show the pinnacle of what sports stars are aiming for, but in the case of Mr Clark, an extravagant purchase doesn’t always mean a secure investment!
Danny Granger
A basketball all-rounder, Granger has played the power forward and small forward positions to great success, but what isn’t so successful has been his foray into renovation. While most of us think about customizing our home, Mr Granger went a little bit further with his Albuquerque home, and built a bat cave in there! And yes, as fantastic as this sounds, is it going to net him prime real estate? We shall see!
Latrell Sprewell
Back in 2004, he retired from basketball with the duty to feed his family. However, his almost $100 million in career earnings disappeared faster than Jesse Owens and spent the ensuing years struggling to pay off their respects, and eventually defaulted on his yacht, and was seized by US marshals! For the guy who made $14 million in one season, it’s a surprise to most that he defaulted on a yacht costing a “measly” $1.5 Million, “Milwaukee’s Best” indeed!
Mike Tyson
You don’t tell the world’s most terrifying person not to buy something, and you especially don’t tell him not to buy Bengal tigers! In the late 80s and early 90s, he purchased 3 Bengal tigers, and not just the tigers weighed down his finances, the nine million dollar divorce settlement didn’t do much for his bank balance. But, when you think about what a tiger consumes, 40 pounds of meat per day, this will amount to a $60,000 annual price tag!
And if you find all this extravagance extremely stupid, there are plenty of sports stars who have put their money into worthwhile investments but also have helped the needy, Complex.com has a rundown of the smartest purchases, including when Lou Williams bought a gunman a burger and fries! Yes, extravagances are stupid sometimes, but there are some good ones in the world!