Ex-NBA Player Who Burned Through $62M And Filed For Bankruptcy After Retiring Says, 'When You're Young, You Think The Money Is Gonna Last Forever'

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Darius Miles had the kind of rise that doesn't feel real until the money is gone. Drafted straight out of East St. Louis, Illinois, at 18, earning nearly $62 million over eight NBA seasons, signing with Nike, acting in movies, flying private before he was old enough to legally drink — it all happened fast. And it all vanished just as quickly.

Miles told the story himself in a deeply personal essay for The Players' Tribune, offering a rare window into what actually happens when fame, sudden wealth, pressure, and trauma collide. No excuses. No softening. Just honesty.