Saddest Stories of Players coming into the NBA

[sammichoffate]

I've heard and read about many sad stories about the struggles of certain players, just wanted to appreciate what I have compared to some of these guys growing up today:

Mirza Teletovic: Grew up during the Bosnian War, everyone around him was literally dying or in danger of dying at any given time. Basketball was his only sanctuary through all the bloodshed and chaos.

Jimmy Butler: Abandoned by his father when he was an infant, literally told by his mom: "I don't like the look of you, you gotta go" at the age of 13. Forced to move around from friends' houses until he settled down with the Leslie family.

Larry Bird: Grew up in poverty, his mom worked two jobs to support him and his five siblings. After his parents divorced, his father committed suicide. Basketball was his escape through all the hardship.

DJ Mbenga: His family was executed by the new regime that had taken over in the DRC. He managed to escape by boarding a plane to Belgium and receiving asylum.

Dennis Rodman: Oldest of 47 children, based on what was told by his father. His father left him at an early age, and his mother was forced to work sometimes four jobs at the same time. His mother favored his sisters more, which made him insecure and socially awkward. He once questioned whether or not he was homosexual.

[Le Shaqtus]

DJ Mbenga... Damn.

[The Iron Sheik]

growing up, lebron had it rough. delonte wasn't much of a father to him. he deserted both lebron and Gloria.

[Trollsmasher]

Durant

His mother ate all the food

[D-FENS]

Thomas Robinson had it pretty rough.

Also Mike Dunleavy Jr. had a prick of a dad and has to live with his name forever

[D-FENS]

Shawn Kemp's kids are going to occupy the top 20 spots on this list one day

[SilkkTheShocker]

Len Bias: Died

[russwest0]

Thomas Robinson

[VengefulAngel]

[quote]It seems that not all players in the NBA had stress-free childhoods, nor did they have the option of walking into the NBA by just being a former great player's son.

I've spent a lot of time researching and writing about players who had nothing as a child, and now earn millions of dollars playing the game they love.

I'm curious to know, which player has had the toughest childhood?

There are some amazing, and often hard to find stories out there. Reading them is inspiring, it proves that no matter how bad life is, there is always hope.

Caron Butler is a player who was in prison just five years before he declared himself for the draft.

Butler was recognised as a talented player and future NBA prospect, but problems at home and at school made it look as though he would never make it. He had been arrested 15 times for minor offenses before his 15th birthday. As he got older he commited more crimes and was sentenced to one year in prison for firearms and cocaine possession. Now he has made a name for himself and is only getting better.

Allen Iverson, is known for his killer cross-overs and his ability to get to the rim. But the thing a lot of people don't know is his lack of a father figure and the poor living conditons in which he grew up in. Iverson's house would sometimes be engulfed in sewage after the sewage line blew under his house. His mother couldn't always work and the family would go without water, heating and lighting for days. When asked what he wanted to do after he left school, Iverson often referred to

[kamil]

Mirza Teletovic: Grew up during the Bosnian War, everyone around him was literally dying or in danger of dying at any given time.

This is exactly why Teletovic laughs in LeBron*s face. Why the fvck would he be afraid of him after that? LeBron* is a bitch.

[TheMagicMan]

Len Bias: Died

Mother****er.

[mr.big35]

rodman had 47 siblings am i reading that right
im not suprised

[blazersfan52]

Will Barton: Growing up in Baltimore he shared a 1 room apartment with his mom and at least 1 sister, and 2 brother that he slept on a couch in the living room with his brothers and his mom and sister slept in the room.

Meyers Leonard: Father died in a freak accident when he was 6 years old, and his mom because of crippling back pain didn't leave the house often after that.