Retirement can be an unsettling word for a professional athlete. For years, sometimes decades, nearly every part of life revolves around competition. Then one day the games stop, the crowds disappear, and the question becomes much bigger than what happened on the field: What comes next?
For some sports legends, the second act became even more lucrative than the first. Others moved into broadcasting, ownership, business, or philanthropy. A few struggled with money or became entangled in serious legal trouble. These 15 athletes took remarkably different paths once their days as full-time competitors were over.
George Foreman
George Foreman already had one of the wildest career arcs in sports before he ever became a pitchman. After winning Olympic gold in 1968 and the heavyweight championship in 1973, Foreman walked away from boxing in 1977. He returned a decade later and, at age 45, knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994 to become the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history. He finally retired from the ring in 1997 with a 76-5 record.
His next act turned him into a completely different kind of household name. The George Foreman Grill became a massive commercial success, eventually selling more than 100 million units. Foreman also worked as a broadcaster, minister, author, and entrepreneur. He died on March 21, 2025, at age 76, leaving behind a legacy that stretched far beyond boxing.
Ugueth Urbina
Ugueth Urbina was a two-time MLB All-Star who saved 237 games over an 11-season career. He led the National League with 41 saves for Montreal in 1999 and later recorded two saves for the Florida Marlins during their 2003 World Series victory. His final major league season came with Detroit and Philadelphia in 2005.
What happened next overwhelmed anything he had accomplished on the mound. Urbina was arrested in Venezuela after an October 2005 confrontation with workers on his family’s ranch. In 2007, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted of attempted murder of five workers, along with other offenses. Urbina maintained that he was not involved in the attack. He was released in 2012 before serving the full sentence and soon returned to the field in the Venezuelan winter league.
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson abruptly left the NBA in 1991 after announcing that he had tested positive for HIV, then returned for the 1992 All-Star Game and the legendary Olympic Dream Team. He made one final comeback with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 before retiring for good.
Johnson’s business career became nearly as notable as his basketball résumé. Magic Johnson Enterprises invested in businesses serving urban communities, while Johnson joined ownership groups across several major professional sports. His portfolio has included stakes in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks, Los Angeles FC, and, since 2023, the Washington Commanders. Not bad for a guy who already had five NBA championships before entering the boardroom.
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield became the undisputed champion at cruiserweight and heavyweight and remains the only boxer to win a version of the heavyweight championship four times. His two fights against Mike Tyson made him a household name well beyond boxing. Holyfield’s last professional fight came in 2011, ending a career that stretched across 27 years.
Despite earning hundreds of millions of dollars during his career, Holyfield also experienced highly publicized financial problems. His enormous Georgia estate faced foreclosure, and hundreds of pieces of memorabilia were later prepared for auction after he was forced to leave the property. His story did not simply end there, however. Holyfield moved into boxing promotion and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017, receiving one of the sport’s highest honors in his first year of eligibility.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Dwayne Johnson largely stepped away from full-time professional wrestling in 2004, when his rapidly growing film career made it obvious that Hollywood was going to be more than a side gig. Movies including the “Fast & Furious” series, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “San Andreas,” and “Moana” helped make him one of the most recognizable entertainment stars in the world.
Calling Johnson “retired from wrestling” is a little too simple, though. He has returned to WWE numerous times and made an in-ring comeback at WrestleMania XL in 2024, teaming with Roman Reigns against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. That same year, Johnson joined the board of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE and UFC. His post-wrestling career somehow managed to bring him right back into the wrestling business, only this time partly from the boardroom.
Denny McLain
Denny McLain reached heights that modern baseball pitchers rarely even approach. He won 31 games for the Detroit Tigers in 1968, becoming the last MLB pitcher to win at least 30 games in a season, and captured consecutive American League Cy Young Awards in 1968 and 1969. His major league career was over by 1972 while he was still in his 20s.
McLain’s post-baseball life became considerably messier. He was convicted in the 1980s on federal racketeering, extortion, and drug-related charges and sentenced to prison, but an appeals court later threw out that conviction on procedural grounds and prosecutors ultimately declined to retry him. A later case proved more lasting. After he and a partner bought Peet Packing Co., millions disappeared from the company’s pension fund. McLain was convicted of crimes including embezzlement, money laundering, mail fraud, and conspiracy and spent years in federal prison before his 2003 release.
David Beckham
David Beckham ended his playing career with Paris Saint-Germain in May 2013 after collecting league championships in England, Spain, the United States, and France. His fame had already extended well beyond soccer thanks to endorsement deals and an instantly recognizable global brand.
Beckham eventually returned to Major League Soccer in a very different role. He became a co-owner of Inter Miami CF, helping build the expansion club that debuted in 2020 and later signed Lionel Messi. By 2026, Beckham was helping usher Inter Miami into its new permanent stadium at Miami Freedom Park. His post-playing career has been less about leaving soccer behind and more about moving from the field to the ownership suite.
Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson officially retired in 2013 after a career that included an NBA MVP award, 11 All-Star selections, four scoring titles, and one unforgettable trip to the NBA Finals with Philadelphia. He reportedly earned more than $200 million from salary and endorsements, but reports of financial problems began following him late in his career and afterward.
Those problems were real, but one oft-repeated claim goes too far: there is no solid evidence that Iverson ever filed for bankruptcy. In 2012, a Georgia judge did order money garnished from his bank account over a large unpaid jewelry bill, and Iverson acknowledged going through difficult times. His later story has been much more celebratory. He entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, had his No. 3 retired by the 76ers, and was honored with a sculpture at the team’s training complex in 2024.
Michael Strahan
Michael Strahan could hardly have scripted a better final game. The New York Giants defensive end finished his 15-season career by helping upset the previously undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. He officially announced his retirement in June 2008.
Then came a second career that may have made his face even more familiar. Strahan became an analyst on “FOX NFL Sunday,” co-hosted “Live! with Kelly and Michael,” and moved into a prominent role on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” He also became host of “The $100,000 Pyramid.” The Pro Football Hall of Famer went from chasing quarterbacks on Sundays to becoming one of television’s busiest personalities.
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor retired from the New York Giants after the 1993 season as one of the most dominant defensive players football had ever seen. He won two Super Bowls, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and the 1986 NFL MVP award, a remarkably rare accomplishment for a defensive player. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
His life away from football has been far more troubled. Taylor dealt with drug problems and multiple legal issues after his playing days. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute in a case involving a 16-year-old girl. He received six years of probation and was required to register as a sex offender. In 2024, Taylor was again charged in Florida with failing to properly update information on the state’s sex offender registry. He pleaded not guilty, with his attorney calling the matter a misunderstanding.
Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk retired from competition shortly after the 1999 X Games, the same event where he became the first skateboarder to land a 900 in competition. That timing turned out to be almost absurdly perfect. In 1999, Hawk also teamed with Activision for the first “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” video game.
The franchise became a cultural phenomenon and eventually generated nearly $2 billion in sales, according to Hawk’s official biography. Rather than disappearing after his competitive career ended, Hawk became arguably the sport’s most recognizable ambassador through video games, exhibitions, business ventures, television appearances, and skateboarding advocacy. The franchise was still going decades later, with “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4” arriving in 2025.
Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez finished his MLB playing career in 2016 with 696 home runs, three American League MVP awards, and a 2009 World Series championship with the New York Yankees. His playing résumé also remains inseparable from his suspension for the entire 2014 season over violations of baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
Rodriguez rebuilt his public career through broadcasting, investing, and business. His biggest sports move came off the baseball diamond. In 2025, the NBA approved the sale of controlling interests in the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx to Rodriguez and entrepreneur Marc Lore. The two became co-chairmen, with Rodriguez serving as governor of the Lynx and alternate governor of the Timberwolves.
Julie Foudy
Julie Foudy retired from international soccer in 2004 after an extraordinary 17-year run with the U.S. Women’s National Team. She finished with 271 international appearances and helped the United States win the Women’s World Cup in 1991 and 1999. Her Olympic résumé includes gold medals in 1996 and 2004 and a silver medal in 2000.
Foudy made the move from captain to commentator look remarkably smooth. She spent years as one of ESPN’s leading soccer analysts before joining TNT Sports’ soccer coverage in 2023. She has also remained active as an advocate for women in sports and was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan finally ended his playing career in 2003 after six NBA championships, five MVP awards, and three separate retirements from professional basketball. The sneakers and apparel bearing his name had already become a business empire before he played his final game.
Jordan later became the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets in 2010, making him the first former NBA player to become the majority owner of a league franchise. He sold his controlling interest in 2023 after 13 years but retained a minority stake and a role as alternate governor. Jordan Brand, meanwhile, remains one of the most recognizable athlete-backed brands in sports.
Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus retired from competitive golf in 2005 after making his final major championship appearance at the Open Championship at St. Andrews. The Golden Bear left behind a record 18 major championship victories, a mark that still stands decades after his final major win.
Nicklaus did not exactly spend retirement sitting around the clubhouse. He became one of the world’s best-known golf course designers, with Nicklaus Design involved in projects around the globe. He also remained closely tied to the Memorial Tournament, the PGA Tour event he founded in Ohio. For Nicklaus, leaving competitive golf mostly meant finding other ways to stay surrounded by it.