Shaquille O'Neal is the most unstoppable entity that the NBA has ever seen to this very day. It's almost impossible to explain or measure his impact on the game. Every night, centers across the league would hang their heads in shame knowing that there was nothing they could possibly do to stop Shaq from completely wrecking the rim while he was on the floor. Some coaches strategically utilized fouling the 7'1, 325lbs powerhouse, but eventually, a rule was created to curb that type of behavior from opposing teams in the 'Hack-a-Shaq' rule.
Shaq was selected first overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic where he played alongside the legendary Penny Hardaway before taking his talents to Hollywood in 1996, where he would become a larger-than-life superstar. Shaq earned four NBA titles, three NBA Finals MVPs, fifteen NBA All-Star selections, one NBA Most Valuable Player Award (2000) and so much more. There literally isn't anything the Big Diesel hasn't done. Whether it be act, rap, DJ, star in a video game, or host the most popular NBA postgame television show, Shaquille O'Neal is sports entertainment at its best.
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.