Guys like Latrell Sprewell, and Antoine Walker, weren't necessarily
superstars, but they are examples of all-stars that have lost their money.
Mike Tyson had Lebron James type money and ended up going through bankruptcy (Everything from having money stolen from him, to lavish spending).
The 30 for 30 Broke episode is fantastic at really breaking it down. It mostly focuses on the NFL. The average salary is like 2 million a year. Remember that a large chunk of that is be taken out by taxes. Even guys that make significantly more than that have to understand that their careers are very short and they aren't just making money for now...they are making it for the rest of their lives.
Say you play 5 years, retire at 25, and you end up making 10 million (After taxes) in that time period. This is likely a lot more money than most guys are taking home during this time period, and most don't even play for 5 years. If you aren't smart, and don't know how to either stretch that money, or preferably, make more money off of it, for another 40 years, you're going to be in a world of trouble. Add in baby mamas, bad business decisions, taking care of family and friends, spending lavishly...
I think the best thing these guys could do would be 1) Freeze some sperm and get a vasectomy, 2) Cut yourself off from friends, and non-immediate family members, 3) Don't fucking get married until after you retire, 4) Just stop fucking buying stupid shit.
^ Most depressed man EVER.