Brandon Jennings spent nine seasons in the NBA.

The flashy point guard has suited up for the Bucks (twice), Pistons, Magic, Knicks and Wizards, and last played for Russian professional team Zenit St Petersburg in 2018.

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The now 35-year-old earned a career-high $40 million during his time in the NBAbut recently revealed that he quit basketball because his family and friends repeatedly asked him for money.

Jennings recently appeared on the Above the rim with DH 12 podcast where he reflected on his relationship with friends and family and how NBA money affected his life.

“I also had to leave the game because of my family and friends… it was too much about money,” he said.

He explained that basketball was his escape and therapy, but once it became a job, he noticed people around him using him as an ATM.

“It’s getting a little depressing,” he said.

“No matter who you are, you don’t want to be seen as a cash cow,” he continued, before adding that his advice for avoiding such a situation is to stay spiritual…keep the right people around of you.

Former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe and former Bengals wide receiver Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson recently spoke about Jennings’ comments on their ‘Nightcap’ podcast.

Both men, who have made millions through and after gambling, sympathized with Jennings, saying extreme wealth can lead to problems with loved ones.

“They will wear you out,” Johnson said.

“Family will wear you down. They know no limits and won’t stop and all you do is enable them. The more you give, the more you must continue to give to your friends and those around you.”

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“I understand,” Johnson continued. “If they grew up with you, you still want to keep it real. But one of the easiest ways (to lose money) is to have the wrong people around you.

“You don’t want to say no to people. But you’re going to look back five or six years from now and wonder, ‘Where the hell did all my money go?'”

“This bullshit goes fast if you have no financial discipline.

“(The family) will never understand.”

Sharpe agreed, admitting it was a slippery slope when it came to family and money.

“You can’t manage your income. And somehow you want me to supplement yours?”

“They’re going to keep taking, it’s never going to stop,” Johnson responded.

“They forget the 1,000 yeses, they only remember the no,” Sharpe added.

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Johnson earned $48.9 million during his 11-year NFL career, but he was notoriously frugal with his money.

“I saved 80 (to) 83 percent of my salary,” Johnson said.

He added: “So, life is good because I was able to maintain and keep most of my wealth that I earned through gambling. »

“As a rookie coming into the league, I stayed at (Paul Brown Stadium) my first two years because there was no point in spending money and wasting money when all I had was needed was already there,” Johnson told Entertainment Tonight.

He continued: “I didn’t leave my grandmother’s house because I was happy and used to where I lived. I didn’t leave his house until my fourth year in the NFL.

As for Jennings, he already admitted that he should have bought something with his first NBA salary instead of buying a house for his mother.

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Appearing on the Gil’s Arena podcast, Jennings, who has a reported net worth of $16 million, reiterated his love for his mother, but said younger players should stabilize themselves financially before helping everyone else.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t love my mom or that I don’t appreciate her. I think we get caught up in being like, ‘When we get our first paycheck, we have to give it to my family”. But it’s like wow, you can get hurt next year, and then I made people feel comfortable early on.

Jennings was drafted 10th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft – the same draft class to Steph Curry and James Harden.

He had a 55-point performance in the seventh game of his NBA career, but never quite lived up to his potential.

Jennings struggled after tearing his Achilles tendon in 2009, but he still averaged 15.5 points per game during his nine non-consecutive seasons in the Association.