You don't need a commission-based salary working for Jacob the Jeweler to know that athletes are disastrous with cash. Between Allen Iverson, Warren Sapp, and Mike Tyson, many of today's sports legends are famous for blowing more bread than the Pillsbury Doughboy's girlfriend. But for every 100 carbon fiber speed boats purchased with credit, there's one athlete who makes a wise choice with their hard earned dollars. So raise a glass of sensibly priced Kirkland Vodka as we toast The 25 Smartest Athlete Purchases in Sports History.
Written by Sean Evans (@seanseaevans)
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25. DeShawn Stevenson Installs an ATM in His Kitchen
24. Jeff Franceour Buys Pizza for Bleacher Bums in Oakland
23. Doug Collins Feeds Sixers Fans
22. Wayne Gretzky Buys Honus Wagner Card
21. John Madden Flips His New York Condo
20. Lou Williams Buys Mugger McDonald's
19. Cal Ripken Jr. Establishes Ripken Baseball
18. Andre Johnson Goes Shopping for Needy Kids
17. David Robinson Builds Carver Academy
16. John Elway's Empire in Denver
15. LeBron James Grabs a Piece of the Liverpool F.C. Pie
14. Nelson Cruz Buys a Fire Truck
13. Pal Dardai Buys Beer for an Entire Stadium
12. Warrick Dunn Builds 100 Single Family Homes
11. Dave Bing Becomes the Real Man of Steel
10. Kobe Bryant Beats the Traffic
9. Jedeveon Clowney Gets Coverage
8. Oscar De La Hoya Starts Golden Boy Promotions
Cost: Unknown
Year of Purchase: 2002
7. Jamal Mashburn Builds a Junk Food Empire
Cost: Unknown
Year of Purchase: 2004-Present
Jamal Mashburn could eat at his own restaurants for almost three straight months without repeating an establishment. Since retiring in 2004, Mashburn's amassed a collection of Papa John's (37), Outback Steakhouses (34) and Dunkin' Donuts (three). Mashburn also owns the largest Toyota dealership in Kentucky.