3. Vinny Del Negro
Vinny Del Negro’s NBA career did not follow the traditional path. He came to the NBA in 1988 as a second-round pick for the Sacramento Kings. After playing two seasons with the Kings, he left the league to play in Italy, where he won the Italian Championship with Benetton Treviso.
Once that was done, he returned to the NBA, joining the San Antonio Spurs. There, he had his most productive seasons as an NBA player but also played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, and Phoenix Suns before retiring in 2001.
Upon returning, Del Negro wasted little time returning to the league. He first started out as a radio commentator for the Suns before becoming the team’s assistant general manager in 2007.
Just one year later, he took over as the Chicago Bulls’ head coach but never led the team to much playoff success. Thus, he was dismissed in May 2010 and quickly took over as the Clippers’ new head coach. There, his coaching career worked out well, as he led the Clippers to the franchise’s best season.
Nevertheless, his coaching career ended in 2013 and he has taken on other endeavors, such as golfing, since then.