Forgotten Kobe-Shaq teammate and NBA All-Star who earned $67m almost went broke and left in ‘dire financial straits’
GLEN Rice was on top of the world when he won the 2000 NBA Finals alongside Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and their Los Angeles Lakers.
But it was a downfall for the three-time All-Star from then on – both career-wise and in his private life as he reportedly lost most of the money he earned after ending his 15-year NBA career in 2004.
Rice had an outstanding college career that saw him win the NCAA Tournament with Michigan in 1989 and earn the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player trophy.
The Miami Heat then selected the prolific shooter with the No. 4 overall pick in the NBA draft later that year.
But since the Heat were a struggling expansion team, his career didn't fully blossomed until he joined the Charlotte Hornets as part of the Alonzo Mourning trade in 1995.
Rice earned an All-Star selection in each of his three seasons with the Hornets, cementing his status as one of the league's biggest stars.
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The sharpshooting wing averaged 23.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while knocking down 46.9 percent of his shot attempts – and hitting a mind-blowing 44.4 percent for 3.
In fact, Rice was the NBA's best 3-point shooter in 1996-97, shooting a league-best 47 percent from deep on 5.6 attempts per game.
His emergence made him the face of the newly-created Nautica Competition shoe line.
Rice then took on a lesser role to fight for the NBA championship on the Kobe-Shaq-led Lakers in 1999.
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In his second and last season with the team, his 3-point shot and clutch gene helped LA claim its first title since 1988 – and which would turn into a successful three-peat run by 2002.
Injuries forced Rice to retire four years later with two All-NBA honors to his name and nearly $67million in career earnings.
But not much would be left from his fortune in the following years, according to a report from the Miami Herald in 2016.
It claimed Rice was "almost broke" because of his inability to find a post-retirement job and a number of bad investments.
The ex-NBA star also had to pay $1,500 a month in child support, which he reportedly asked to lower due to being in "dire financial straits."
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Rice for comment.
Not much has been known about Rice's situation since then.
He appears to be doing better with the former forward's social media posts showing him organizing basketball camps and teaming up with various brands including Dick's Sporting Goods.
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Meanwhile, his son Glen Rice Jr. got drafted in the second round of the 2013 draft.
However, Rice Jr. managed to make just 16 NBA appearances in two years for the Washington Wizards.