Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill recently got fleeced for millions after a 17-month marriage to Keeta Vaccaro, including a $714K upfront check. As the bills pile up, the former all-world receiver remains an unsigned free agent recovering from a severe left knee injury (dislocated knee and torn ACL) that required two surgeries and limited him to four games in 2025. With his future in the balance, his former marriage is nothing more than a terrible burden.
NBA star Luka Dončić’s ex-fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, is seeking a $50 million settlement in a new legal claim filed in Slovenia, asking for $40 million for herself, $10 million for their two daughters, and a reduction in Luka’s custody rights.
Former NBA star Paul Pierce has to pay $30K per month to Instagram model Princess Santiago, whom he had a fling with then tried to duck.
Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler and his ex-girlfriend Kaitlin Nowak share three children together: a daughter named Rylee and two sons named Brayan and Kian. Butler already pays Nowak a whopping $55,000 per month in base child support. In 2025 he was dragged back into court because Nowak requested an additional $10,000 per month to permanently cover the cost of a nanny. Butler’s legal team has argued she is not entitled to live the life of an NBA wife.
Young NBA star Anthony Edwards, now married, is still dealing with past indiscretions and embattled in paternity issues with a past lover.
This is everyday life for many pro athletes and the stories are endless about how the game is often slanted to benefit the woman, even if they don’t make it to the altar or stick around when the career is over.
Former NBA Player Ken Bazemore Reflects On Costly Divorce
According to viral social media posts attributing quotes to former NBA player Ken Bazemore warning athletes about marriage, Bazemore said in a recent interview that his ex-wife finessed him and played the long game doing it. She allegedly filed for divorce because she wanted stability and was tired of living a nomadic lifestyle as the wife of a journeyman baller. She waited and filed the same year he retired from the NBA.
Bazemore, who played 10 seasons in the NBA from 2012 to 2022, making approximately $77.8 million in total salary from his various contracts, explained the science of his situation. When he split with Samantha Serpe, the finalized divorce back in 2024 resulted in him forking out more than $1.5 million in the process.
Bazemore Says He Was Victim Of The Long Game, NBA Lifestyle
“What’s the point of signing a prenuptial agreement or getting married if the person you’re with already has one foot out the door? What’s the point of marriage if your spouse is eventually going to turn to the courts and file for divorce?” he asked.
“I paid $1.5 million for her share of our Atlanta property. She kept the cars and the house while also seeking $150,000 a month in child support, even though her income was below that amount,” Bazemore detailed.
”My NBA career ended in 2022, and that same year, my wife filed for divorce. The divorce was finalized the following year. Looking back, I can’t help but wonder if I should have seen it coming. My advice to professional athletes is to seriously consider waiting until after their playing careers are over before getting married,” he added.
Fans React To Ken Bazemore’s Wife Divorcing Him Upon Retirement From NBA
One fan refused to mince words and flat out tweeted: “Black men need to stop marrying white women.”
“Bazemore’s point hits hard — the lifestyle instability of the NBA is real, and a lot of marriages crack once the money and movement slow down. Waiting until after the career makes sense for some, but the bigger issue is building something solid while the ride is still going. Respect for him being honest about it,” one fan responded on X.
“Lol bullsh-t,” one user commented. “a good woman wouldn’t care and still enjoy his millions. She never loved him and locked him down for money.”
“but you guys clown Kevin Durant for being 36 and not having kids/getting married. Maybe he notices a common trend with women divorcing their husbands within three years of retirement. Happened to Kevin Garnet and a few other players,” one netizen said on X.
“Those marriages aren’t cracking because the money slowed down, they were built around the money so once the foundation was gone so was the marriage,” another netizen expressed.
“Painful yes… but also predictable,” another user commented. “A lot of these marriages are built on the lifestyle, not the man.”
Both Sides Often Culpable In Ugly, Costly Split
Nothing new here, but there’s also two sides to a story. Any relationship built on wealth will eventually crumble without some true love. We don’t know what any of these women have endured while in a relationship with these pro athletes. We also don’t know how much that athlete is being exploited and doesn’t even know it until it’s too late.
