Legacy and legend: what did life after the game bring for these sports stars?

Retirement from sport is never easy, but there are some stars who have glided through retirement from their game. They have moved on prepared and turned their names into legacies. One obvious example? Michael Jordan. There is a generation of people who know Michael Jordan, but perhaps didn’t know he was probably the greatest basketball player of all time. Instead, they wear his clothing and walk in his shoes and think only of him as a brand. 

Nike released the first show in the 1990s and turned the 'Air Jordan' into one of the most desired pair of trainers in the world. According to Marca, he receives 5% of the generated sales - sitting at $15 million per day at Nike for the sale of his branded items.

Midas Beckham, the man can do no wrong. After a successful football career, this business man, model, fashion guru, celebrity dad, TV star bought a football club and turned it into a global brand. 

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Did anyone else forget that Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson used to be a professional wrestler? He wasn’t always one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and was an integral part in making the WWF a success.

You would think, judging by his films, Jason Statham may have been a boxer or a martial artist before his venture into acting. Nope - this hard-hitting action star was actually a competitive diver. 

The sweetest giant on the planet? Actor Terry Crews had a forgettable NFL career as a linebacker, then struggled with work until he finally got his big break in Hollywood.

Forman was a formidable boxer and was on the receiving end of the brilliant Ali’s fists in the famous boxing match ‘Rumble in the Jungle’. The former two-time world heavyweight champion is now associated with the famous grill that bears his name. Marca tell us he has so far made around $138 million from the device.

Ballon d'or winner Michael Owen played for Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United. He regularly appears as a football pundit but also has made solid investments in horse racing and stables and now has an estimated value of about 36 million pounds. 

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This former body building champion has done it all. Not happy with conquering Hollywood, Arnie became a politician and Governor of California. Really taking the American dream and snapping up every opportunity.

Whatever his job is, Vinnie Jones isn’t doing it delicately. He went from a brute on the pitch to a brute on the screen. And yet, when appearing as himself, Vinnie seems a softie on the inside - such as when he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing.

He will always be Apollo Creed to us. But before he made his fame in the 'Rocky' films, Carl Weathers had a short-lived career playing American football. 

It’s hard to believe that the star of ‘My Name is Earl’ was anything but an actor. However, before Hollywood, the actor and film-maker was a professional skateboarder.

Boxers are tough, but this guy was made of iron. The baddest boxer of our time. This was no hype - he was the real deal. Controversy, scandal and trouble followed this amazing athlete until he finally got his act together and started acting. 

Love him or hate him, the guy is charismatic - so, after retiring from MMA, where else would he go but Hollywood? Soon to be seen as the bad guy in the remake of ‘Roadhouse’.

Pro Skater Hawk brought out his own video game in 1999 and the rest is history. Armchair skaters around the world became champions, and Hawk brought the world of skating into homes across the globe.

Another former Liverpool star that has made wise investments in property and companies. The ex footballer commonly known as 'God' to Liverpool fans has owned a sports promotion company since the 1990s which skyrocketed his net worth to over £30m, according to the Daily Star.

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