Home

NBA

Oscar Winner Will Smith Opened Up on His Broke Days to LeBron James Despite Winning a Grammy: “Now That’s The Worst”

Published 04/09/2022, 7:00 AM EDT

Follow Us

USA Today via Reuters

Most big-time athletes and celebrities once had to go through tough times, whilst dealing with their financial problems. Whereas some athletes like LeBron James grew up, not being able to afford resources. The Fresh Prince, Will Smith, had to go through similar times. 

Before appearing on the American sitcom, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will was a hip-hop MC. From the early age of around 17, Will had entered the music industry with his duo partner, DJ Jazzy. He also received a Grammy award for the best rap performance. Seeing all this success, it is a bit hard to believe that Will was once broke. 

Will talks about his broke days in front of LeBron James

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Smith recalls his time in Los Angeles when he wasn’t financially stable. Even after winning a Grammy award, Will was struggling with money.

“I got out to LA and I like… I was like dead broke. I went from… we won the first Grammy that a rapper ever received… to broke.”

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

It wasn’t a good time for Will as he was short on income. But this was before he had signed for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Will goes on to mention how it is worse to not have money after being successful. 

“It’s one thing to be broke. It’s another thing to have money and then be broke again. Now that’s the worst.” said Will on The Shop.

Why Are Steph Curry & LeBron James Not Playing in The Olympics?

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

This happens a lot with young celebrities and athletes who don’t really look into properly handling money. But some icons do realize the importance of wealth early in their careers. Shaquille O’Neal, who once spent a million dollars in one day, learned his lesson and started to invest. Fast forward to today, Shaq is now a business tycoon. 

LeBron James had a tough time growing up

As a kid, LeBron never had his father around. His mother took care of him, struggling to provide the best for her son. In his early childhood days, LeBron moved over seven times in a year with his mother. His coach, Frankie Walker, helped LeBron focus on basketball and school. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

WATCH THIS STORY: NBA Fans Lash Out at LeBron James Over Latest Praise for Soccer Star Neymar: “Next Day He Saying Cristiano, 4 Days Later It’s Messi”

Do you know about any other athletes or celebrities who rose strongly after a rough time? Do let us know in the comments.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Balraj Singh Babrah

232Articles

One take at a time

Balraj Singh Babrah is an NBA writer with EssentiallySports. He has been an NBA fan since 2016, and watching Curry shoot from distance inspired him to play basketball. Additionally, he loves analyzing and predicting games based on stats.
Show More>

Edited by:

Ranvijay Singh