Top NBA Players Who Tried Other Career Options

By: Fatima Roshni Image credit: Boxing Scene

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[{"selector":"#anim-8b4a2250-281a-4802-82bf-afef345ea4c7","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7e19faf-d151-40da-9218-b862f33abb28","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-423f2617-7eb2-4251-a90a-1ac52d5b5b40","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.89251%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-294abf38-2e7d-4ff0-bee1-271be50289a6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-70.5624998213744%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Kris Humphries, was a great swimmer from the age of 10, setting six records in U.S. swimming events to finish with the fastest time against Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.

[{"selector":"#anim-c7e61f22-11af-4643-9183-cb0e20d64fdf [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(70.5624998213744%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8cbc5604-d578-4ffa-b4b9-e1eb2d3983be","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bc12655e-44b0-4f0f-803f-84d73b1763b0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 142.63887%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-11b8d693-b4ad-46b0-a3ec-585312376cb6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(94.22222%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6788d377-8c9e-4eac-b2f5-0c7eb5b19cfe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aa3eb634-a1fb-4bab-b16a-522d54cca9dc","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] 3-time All-Star Deron Williams, an avid fan of boxing and owner of a stake in Fortis MMA, is a trained boxer and MMA and has played in preliminary matches against Frank Gore and others.

[{"selector":"#anim-5bc71fe2-f108-4e08-8e9d-8a90aceedbc2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-69.80564435854296%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a57fd23e-f327-4c2a-b1a3-85d15d446a39","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b45404e6-cf51-4144-94ec-917b6a8d8b28","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7d6f2bbd-9c86-4b87-84ef-9c3355beeb40","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c2533718-586f-40b6-87f6-ac02d2e9008c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] A 3-time NBA Slam Dunk champion, Nate Robinson was a football player too; he was a part of the Seattle Seahawks practice team in 2016, later making his professional debut in boxing against Jake Paul.

[{"selector":"#anim-dcf81002-e165-4d51-962e-f35d0851c046","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d345756c-a368-4464-8fc8-c81356f23234","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 70.75866%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1ea30e17-702c-45cf-9bb0-8ff61fad3269","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-21e7c2c2-0c62-496b-b0d5-d6aa99a0f29b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(69.5300874747798%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Besides his 18-season NBA career, Danny Ainge was a star athlete to be named to All-American teams for three sports: football, basketball, and baseball, with an MLB career with the Toronto Blue Jays.

[{"selector":"#anim-779b7453-2da1-4176-aedc-af99983e34f1 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-68.5116025159162%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b7186857-907e-4547-b706-38869485bfc4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e634aeea-4ba2-462e-b3e0-5ad7bc55450e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(94.97816%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9f85654c-74ab-4035-8741-39021cd35026","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2a6a4df6-7bad-4112-8170-7797808baa01","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.36335%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Regarded as the greatest power forward in NBA, Karl Malone, a wrestling fan, participated in a 1998 World Championship Wrestling match against NBA star and Chicago Bulls power forward Dennis Rodman.

[{"selector":"#anim-88011e63-f126-449d-93b1-c33f15d3c881","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-31f21111-049c-4170-9964-8065dd02e523","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 76.94147%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-04e987c3-b343-481e-9378-07e7a57fcb1b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-499d5772-1d69-47f2-b0e5-e1d8583b5b7c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 129.19501%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b98a5772-8640-4557-a7a8-7c35652e7cf6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(67.66103985573217%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Known for his defense and rebounding skills, Dennis Rodman has a prominent professional wrestling career that debuted in 1997 for WCW and the 2008 Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling.

[{"selector":"#anim-9cfb4333-12fa-4546-beb1-89c503e258b2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-64.4320208482751%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6a4b754f-4f76-46e5-a8fd-2fe877c1719d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-58e12a48-dbe1-4388-b0dd-2b56536b67e1","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-19627978-4699-4271-869a-ba78dc13b8a4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-112%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c91eeaa8-c3d6-478d-acf6-3ca6c64a1920","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a69b377b-c7c3-4458-b4d1-a21051c08c22","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] After his retirement from NBA, Trae McGrady went for a professional baseball career in 2014 as a pitcher for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.

[{"selector":"#anim-e01f3d50-5c21-47a6-aeeb-75a2e9c0669f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2500,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-6318ca2e-3bff-424f-abb8-78340729f597","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c10d6e93-d2e5-496d-b0d7-5b4297d3c27e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(56.24962744608178%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Joining A&T Aggies golf team in 2021, J.R. Smith enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University for liberal studies and was named the Academic Athlete of the Year for 2021-2022 with a GPA of 4.

[{"selector":"#anim-45f2e287-8415-4c58-9bbf-4ef5c1139a7c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7a2a77f-338c-4972-aab5-ed295774e2b7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 71.56512%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":4500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5e5c69fc-436b-4e2b-ad00-ac40f09b70f3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7eabdb06-1609-4e19-9546-4c8010fecfe2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de169ce4-953b-4cbc-8ed0-957b6ca5c12f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-70.53773228543389%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] With a prominent professional wrestling career in comparison to Rodman and Malone, Shaquille O’Neal is trained in mixed martial arts and has made several appearances in WCW, WrestleMania, and AEW.

[{"selector":"#anim-80dc7230-f47c-4ece-b938-dcbab144a6ba [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(70.5624998213744%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":5500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-38e0bfee-ad6f-4a02-9db2-3d442c26e55a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a9f8f774-09f6-49a0-bc25-5d34cfa5b06c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 135.54176%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e7914969-f5f6-47aa-8732-6b8b786f2e6c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fae96b5b-1e45-4ae3-8b2c-aaca1680736b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-95.77778%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] As a legendary NBA player, Michael Jordan, post-retirement, kept his image as a popular figure as a golfer in celebrity charity tournaments and as part of Minor League Baseball in the 1993–94 season.

Top NBA Players Who Tried Other Career Options

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