Imagine being an NBA Champion alongside the great Kobe Bryant and sharing the court with another icon, LeBron James. Not only that but earning rich financial rewards on top of worldwide fame. Well, former LA Lakers Shooting Guard Trevor Ariza had it all- from on-court success to a lavish lifestyle, including fancy cars, mansions, and personal chefs. However, due to poor financial choices, he has gone from having $116 million to his name to struggling to pay for child support.

Trevor was picked by the New York Knicks in the 2004 NBA Draft. After 18 long seasons, he last played for the Lakers alongside LeBron and retired in 2022 with one Championship (2009) under his belt with Kobe Bryant. Despite his success and the millions he made during his career, he is no longer able to support his opulent lifestyle, and Jacob Turner, former MLB star, broke down the details of Ariza’s situation in a recent social media post.

The price you pay for perfection

Jacob shared a well-elaborated post on X, highlighting Trevor’s journey from a life of luxury to financial struggles, while serving as a stark reminder to avoid the mistakes he made. Trevor retired, having earned a staggering $116 million throughout his NBA career. However, as Jacob points out, Trevor’s biggest mistake was choosing “A lifestyle that was based on yearly earnings not investment savings. The biggest mistake I see athletes and any high earners make is building a lifestyle that is priced for perfection.”

$116,000,000 during his NBA career ~ Yet recent filings show a financial life in flux.

The story and lesson we can all learn about lifestyle creep:

Trevor Ariza played in the NBA for 18 years, won an NBA title with Kobe Bryant, and earned more than nine figures.

That…

— Jacob Turner (@TheJacobTurner) December 21, 2023

For Jacob, the tips for sustainable financial stability are “No bad investments, Continued earning power, and Returns far surpassing expectations.” The antidote for superstar athletes is to “Build a lifestyle that has a margin of safety. One that does not require everything to align perfectly.” The race to perfection without savings will be the downfall of every superstar, as he puts it. 

After being picked by the Knicks in 2004, Ariza played for 9 other franchises in the NBA. A journeyman career reached its pinnacle when he signed for LA Lakers in 2008 and won the championship a year later. After playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards, and Sacramento Kings among other top sides, he was picked by the Lakers again last season. But was left without a team this summer as trouble brewed.

Earlier this year Ariza had to plead for a reduction in the child support payment he was going to pay his ex-wife Bree Anderson for their two children. After a settlement, the amount was reduced largely from what Anderson demanded earlier.

Trevor Ariza is struggling to pay child support

In October, Ariza’s ex-wife agreed to receive a payment of $10k per month for child support, significantly less than the $60k she asked for a few months earlier. Anderson had insisted on a hefty amount claiming they lived lavishly while together and their children should continue to enjoy such a lifestyle. However, Trevor claimed his income had dried up since he left the NBA in 2022 and depleted his savings saying he was trying to cut down on his expenses. The ex-Laker star said he no longer makes an average monthly salary and lives off of a $418,000 one-time payment from the NBA plus $4,000 from a rental property.

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Hence, the two parties agreed to reduce the child support amount to a lowly five-figure sum, while Anderson won’t receive any spousal support from Ariza. Among his monthly expenditures are $13,000 for his mortgage, $13,000 for his first older son Tajh’s child support, $14,000 for multiple cars, and $19,000 for “other” expenses. The settlement includes Ariza covering all school and medical expenses for his children

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