Vin Baker emerged as a promising basketball talent early in his career, earning the nickname “America’s Best-Kept Secret” by Sports Illustrated in 1992. Just a year later, the Milwaukee Bucks selected him as the eighth overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft. Baker quickly adapted to the professional league, becoming a four-time consecutive NBA All-Star starting in 1995. His skills and physical presence attracted significant attention, leading to a trade in 1997 to the Seattle SuperSonics, who exchanged franchise icon Shawn Kemp to acquire the nearly seven-foot forward. During this period, NBA legend Michael Jordan chose Baker to promote his signature sneaker line, underscoring the player’s rising profile.
One of Baker’s career highlights came in 2000 when he secured an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the Sydney Games. This accomplishment showcased his place among basketball’s elite at the international level.
Challenges That Nearly Ended Baker’s Career
Despite his success, Baker’s career took a downward turn due to off-court struggles, primarily alcoholism. His weight soared to 300 pounds at one point, a physical toll of his addiction, though he later managed to regain fitness. Baker openly admitted to binge drinking, particularly after poor performances, often hiding alcohol during games. Celtics coach Jim O’Brien confronted him after detecting the smell of alcohol during practice, which led to a team suspension and eventual release.
Compounding his difficulties was a gambling addiction. Reports indicated he lost nearly $1 million in one night in Las Vegas, exacerbating his financial problems. Following a decline marked by short stints with the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Clippers, Baker’s NBA tenure effectively ended in 2006, alongside the depletion of his earnings, which once totaled around $100 million. Poor investments left him financially ruined, resulting in lost properties and legal troubles, including a DUI arrest. Forced to return to his childhood home, Baker described his lowest point as feeling abandoned by God.
“There was a point where it was just waiting for the train to crash,”
Baker recounted to The Los Angeles Times.
“The rock bottom for me wasn’t necessarily knowing and understanding that I couldn’t get back in the league. It was more than that,”
he added.
“And I mean this wholeheartedly. I knew I felt abandoned by God.”
Journey Toward Sobriety and Recovery
Baker’s recovery began through reconnecting with his faith and committing to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. After entering rehab for the fifth time in 2011, he gradually rebuilt his life. The challenges he faced and overcame align him with other former NBA players who encountered similar hardships, such as Randy Brown and Darius Miles, who struggled financially despite their professional success.
In a moment of desperation, Baker reached out to Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ CEO and former owner of the Seattle SuperSonics. Schultz arranged for Baker to work at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, providing him with a fresh start. Baker also earned some income by playing in exhibition basketball games abroad, including a controversial trip to North Korea alongside Dennis Rodman.
From Barista to Store Manager: A Humbling New Beginning at Starbucks
Later, Schultz offered Baker an opportunity to train as a Starbucks manager. Although inexperienced in the coffee industry and previously unsuccessful in business ventures, Baker accepted the offer out of necessity.
“My previous attempt at business—the restaurant I opened—was a spectacular bust,”
Baker wrote.
“I’d never worked behind a counter in my life. And I knew nothing about coffee. But I needed a job, so I said yes.”
“It was the best decision I ever made.”
Baker started as a barista in a Starbucks store in Connecticut, advancing to management trainee and eventually operating his own store. The job demanded hard work, discipline, and humility.
“Working at Starbucks was the hardest job I ever did. I loved it. All I had to do was win the day,”
he said.
“I was so lost in my own insecurity [in the NBA], so weighed down by vanity and ambition, I sought release in all the wrong places.”
“Working at Starbucks showed me that a life of service—the life Jesus wants us to live—can happen anywhere. In the NBA, I’d been the fantasy Vin Baker, the basketball star pouring alcohol into an inner void. At Starbucks I was just Vin Baker. And I loved it. I needed it.”
Return to Basketball and Role with Milwaukee Bucks
After stepping away, Baker re-entered basketball as an analyst for FOX Sports and began mentoring young big men in the NBA. His former team, the Milwaukee Bucks, welcomed him back in 2018 when general manager John Horst and head coach Mike Budenholzer hired him as an assistant coach.</p>
In 2020, Baker had a pivotal experience working closely with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo in Greece during the offseason. The two shared a candid conversation at dinner, where Giannis expressed amazement at Baker’s journey.
“One night we were talking and we had never had this conversation. And Giannis said to me, we were at dinner, and he said ‘Coach, like, your story’s amazing. Like, I cannot believe it … it’s hard for me to even fathom what you’ve been through.’”
Baker explained that Giannis was in awe of his recovery, which Baker himself had not realized the extent to which the younger star understood.
Victory and Redemption with the Bucks
Baker’s comeback culminated in a fairytale ending when the Milwaukee Bucks captured the 2021 NBA Championship, the franchise’s first since 1971. The Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the Finals, with Giannis Antetokounmpo earning the Finals MVP award. This milestone marked a triumphant return to the pinnacle of basketball for Baker, symbolizing perseverance and resilience.
“It’s a miracle how the story has turned around,”
Baker said, reflecting on his journey from the depths of personal struggles to NBA glory.