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According to a 2009 Sports Illustrated article, 60 percent of NBA players are broke within five years of retirement. For 78 percent of NFL players, it takes only three years. Sucked into bad investments, stalked by freeloaders, saddled with medical problems, and naturally prone to showing off, most pro athletes get shocked by harsh economic realities after years of living the high life.
Drawing surprisingly vulnerable confessions from retired stars like Jamal Mashburn, Bernie Kosar, and Andre Rison, as well as Marvin Miller, the former executive director of the MLB Players Association, this fascinating documentary digs into the psychology of men whose competitive nature carries them to victory on the field and ruin off it.
PRODUCER
Feature Documentary
Director: Billy Corben
PRESS
Yahoo Sports: “ESPN’s 30-for-30 ‘Broke’ makes an impression on today’s college hoops stars”
Cooler Cinema: “Shocking, sobering and sometimes just sad…yet another terrific installment in the “30 for 30” franchise, and a promising start for this official second run. It may also be the first documentary in the series with the potential to bring about positive change in sports.”
NPR: “ESPN’s ‘Broke’ Looks At The Many Ways Athletes Lose Their Money”
Miami Herald: “Corben once again displays his astounding narrative skills, weaving a complex tapestry of facts, numbers and anecdotes from dozens of interviews and a mountain of archival footage. Not to be found among the latter: anything from the see-no-evil NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, who can’t imagine why anybody thinks there’s a problem here.”