Harold Miner, once dubbed 'Baby Jordan' never found form in the NBA, and instead became a stay at home investor from $20,000,000 earnings
Harold Miner became a household name early in the 90s as a junior at USC thanks to his scoring skills and impressive dunks during the 1991-92 season. His shaved head, No.23 jersey and impressive dunks gave him the nickname "Baby Jordan" and thus he entered the NBA with high expectations.
Miner was a superstar in high school and college. He starred at Inglewood High School, averaging 28 points per game as a senior.
He then led USC to a No. 2 seed in the 1992 NCAA Tournament, becoming the team's all-time leading scorer,a record he still holds, and earning Sports Illustrated's college basketball Player of the Year award over LSU's Shaquille O'Neal and Duke's Christian Laettner.
Remember Harold Miner aka "Baby Jordan"?
He was a human highlight machine at USC and was named Sports Illustrated College Player Of The Year over Shaq, Zo & Laettner after his junior year. pic.twitter.com/gLXdV1t8r8
However, things didn't play out the way Harold Miner wanted in the NBA. Selected 12th overall in the '92 draft, he was expected to become a scoring and marketing machine. He signed a five-year, $7.3 million contract with the Miami Heat as a rookie and an endorsement deal with Nike reportedly worth $14 million.
Miner’s best season came in his rookie year when he was named the NBA Slam Dunk Champion and was also selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
But he never came close to reaching expectations, averaging under 10 points a game in his three years in Miami. The player was criticized for his poor defense and wayward outside shooting.
After averaging double digits during his first two NBA seasons, Miner regressed during his third year in the league, putting up just 7.3 points per game while playing only 45 regular season games.
He later played two seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers before injuries forced him to retire from the league at the young age of 25. Harold Miner lasted 19 games with the Cavs before retiring.
In an interview with Yahoo Sports back in 2010, Harold Miner said:
"A lot of people don't understand why I stopped playing was because I had two knee surgeries and I had a degenerative joint in my knee, so it was just too much wear and tear, and I ended up with very little cartilage in my knee"
What did Harold Miner do for a living after NBA retirement?
Harold has become a seasoned investor and deals in real estate. He is a successful businessman and has kept his earning intact, unlike other NBA players, who lost their career earnings a few years after they retired from the league.
Miner now resides in Las Vegas with his wife and kids. He currently isn't working, and still lives off the over $20 million he made during a brief NBA career. Miner said:
"I probably never got used to being in the spotlight. I'd say it's always been uncomfortable for me, not natural for me."
Even though Harold Miner never lived up to the expectations in the NBA and the "Baby Jordan" nickname, he managed to have a successful career in real estate and has a normal life outside of the NBA.