First-round pick Derrick Coleman became Rookie of the Year for the Nets after they drafted him in 1990. He went on to play for the All-Stars in 1994. Averaging 20 points per game, Coleman had huge potential, but by 2005, with fifteen NBA seasons under his belt, the Pistons released him from his contract due to his part in an infamous on-court brawl in 2004 between the Pacers and the Pistons.
Today you might find him hauling clean water supplies to residents in Flint, Michigan. Since it was discovered in 2014 that the city of Flint had signed up for a contaminated water source, Coleman had been driving 65 miles a day to deliver fresh water supplies to Flint. “I’ve seen the rust and everything that’s in their water,” a concerned Coleman said, rhetorically asking, “How can this happen here in America?” Michigan is Coleman’s hometown. He went back to live there in 2011. Besides supplying clean water, he invested heavily in renovating and revitalizing the city, trying to bring jobs and economic development to Flint, but he invested during poor economic times and lost it all.
Adam Morrison – Stay-at-Home Dad
Like others of these athletes with an abbreviated career, Adam Morrison has the unenviable distinction known as an NBA bust. At Gonzaga University Morrison stood out as one of the top players and was drafted third overall in the 2006 NBA draft. Signed by the Charlotte Bobcats, his uneventful career with the NBA virtually ended with the Lakers in 2010. He went on for a comeback try with international teams and with an NBA summer league but threw in the towel by 2012. Brand endorsements for Adidas and Johnson & Johnson, as well as returning to Gonzaga to study sports management and do some coaching have been a few of his post-retirement endeavors. But number one on his list is being a dad for his two daughters and young son. He and his girlfriend share a non-traditional relationship. Morrison doesn’t believe marriage is necessary.
They live just outside of Spokane, Washington on a gorgeous piece of land with green countryside and mountain views. The daily schedules of his children are his first priority. Of his lifestyle choice, Morrison had this to say: “I’ve saved my money and done well where I can now pick and choose how I spend my time.”
Mark Blount – Real Estate Investor
Mark Blount played for the NBA for ten years. It was the culmination of his childhood dream. First, he struggled to make it to the University of Pittsburgh and, finally, to the NBA. In 2000, Blount, a seven-foot-tall center from Yonkers, New York, was drafted by the Boston Celtics. In 2010 he retired from his career as a solid center for several teams including the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat. As soon as he retired, he knew he had to make some serious moves if he was going to retain his NBA-star lifestyle. From flipping residential real estate to running Cinnabon shops, Blount’s enthusiasm for the challenge of the real estate business is palpable. “The restaurant business was a learning curve for me, but the real estate [business] is a passion for me,” Blount says.
He opened three Auntie Anne’s shops in Florida, ran them for four years, then sold them for a hefty profit in order to focus on his real estate projects. He and his partners invest in various properties and renovate aging residences for housing. He’s also involved with several philanthropic activities in his local Fort Lauderdale community, like Toys for Tots in Palm Beach Gardens. Advice for other guys who have to leave the court behind, Blount suggests getting into business or taking courses to find an interest in something.
John Stockton - Youth Basketball Coach
John Stockton made his mark as an up and coming point guard at Gonzaga catching the eye of the Utah Jazz who chose him in the first round of the 1984 draft. He played for the Jazz his entire career racking up assists by sending packages to Karl “The Mailman” Malone until he retired in 2003. Stockton was appreciated. The city commemorated him by renaming the street to the Salt Lake City Delta Center “John Stockton Drive.” In 2004, they retired his number 12 jersey. In 2009 he became a Basketball Hall of Famer.
After retirement Stockton became a coach. First, he coached youth teams, splitting his time between several different teams. In 2015 he coached professionally, joining the women’s basketball program at Montana State University for a few years. He’s also been pursuing a business career.
Darko Milicic – Apple Farmer
In 2001, Darko Milicic was drafted just one pick behind LeBron James, but Milicic’s NBA career lagged far behind. The Detroit Pistons had high hopes for the 7-foot-tall Serbian, but Milicic did not like playing for the NBA. In fact, he’s already sold his Pistons Championship ring and donated the money to charity. He abruptly retired in 2012. “I was so lost,” Milicic said, “I really came to hate basketball, you know? I just wanted to come back home and live another life.”
And so, he did. After playing briefly for a Serbian basketball team and then giving a kickboxing career a quick shot, he found his true calling. Back at home in his native Serbia he became an apple farmer. He traveled to Italy to study orchard farming and put $8 million into a 125-acre apple farm that yields over 10,000 pounds of fruit per year. He loves it. With sheer excitement in his eyes, he talks about getting into cherry farming.