A History of Sports Careers Ruined By Drugs and Alcohol

Going from the Hall of Fame to the Hall of Shame.

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Complex Original

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Athletes and drugs have never been a good mix. With how driven an athlete is in their everyday life—constantly dealing with their routines of training, nutrition, and more training—if they get a taste of something like cocaine or weed, sometimes they'll find that their personalities are just as addictive for the bad things as they are for the good. We all know the story: Famous athlete X could've been in the Hall of Fame if not for their dependence on illegal substance Y. It never gets any easier to read. 

With the recent drug allegations surrounding former Los Angeles Clipper and Laker Lamar Odom, though, we're once again reminded of what happens when a pro athlete lets drugs get the best of them. Remember Roy Tarpley? Or Micheal Ray Richardson? How about Todd Marinovich? In order to give you a better idea of the dangers of athletes and addiction, we put together a History of Sports Careers Ruined By Drugs and Alcohol. If there's one thing we should learn from this list it's this: Cocaine is a helluva drug, guys.

RELATED: The Biggest Fall-Offs in NBA History

Spencer Haywood

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Marvin Barnes

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David Thompson

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Pelle Lindbergh

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Micheal Ray Richardson

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Steve Howe

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Lewis Lloyd

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Bob Probert

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Mitchell Wiggins

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Darryl Strawberry

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Dwight Gooden

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Roy Tarpley

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Chris Washburn

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Len Bias

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Shawn Kemp

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Todd Marinovich

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J.R. Rider

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Vin Baker

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Keon Clark

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Derek Boogaard

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