Recent Former Sports Stars Who Just Keep Winning

Just because a person accomplishes a lot during an athletic career doesn't mean he or she will find life easy after retirement. In fact, as we've seen plenty of times before, it can be a struggle for former players once they walk away from sports.

While it's the hope of athletes to win at everything they do in life, a few big-named stars have been lucky enough to be just as successful post-sports as they were during their playing days.

Whether by good luck, proper planning or both, here are some recent former athletes who are still winning off the field.

Steve Yzerman

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A Hall of Famer who won three Stanley Cup titles as a player with the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman has shown that his leadership on the ice could be translated to the front office, too.

That's because the former Detroit captain has been guiding the Tampa Bay Lightning as the team's vice president and general manager since 2010 after a similar role with the Red Wings that saw him win another Stanley Cup.

With last year's Tampa team reaching the Stanley Cup Final and this year's squad making a serious push to get back there again, credit goes to Stevie Y for assembling a team that can compete for rings year after year.

Being voted the GM of the Year last season is proof Yzerman really might be "the most gangster" NHL GM in the league.

Steve Kerr

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While current Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called it quits on his NBA playing career back in 2003, he's still a candidate to make this list because of his success since.

Yes, Kerr did win five NBA championship rings as a player, but his biggest impact has been as both a front office executive and coach.

As the Phoenix Suns general manager from 2007 to '10, Kerr saw his team's go a combined 155-91, becoming one of the most exciting and successful teams under his guidance. Kerr also had an ownership stake of less than 1 percent in the Suns franchise until 2014.

Although impressive, his head coaching accomplishments are even crazier, as he led the Warriors to an NBA title in his first season at the helm, won a regular-season-record 73 games in his sophomore campaign and has the Dubs eyeing a potential repeat.

Kerr was a solid backup shooter during his 15 years in the league, but he's a superstar in the world of coaching.

Jamal Mashburn

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A one-time All-Star and former No. 4 overall pick in the NBA draft, Jamal Mashburn enjoyed a solid 11 years in the league, which included earning over $75 million, per Basketball-Reference.com.

That's great and all, but Mashburn's greatest successes have come in the business world post-basketball, as he's one of the greatest examples of an athlete using his wealth and turning it into more opportunities elsewhere.

Owning more than 80 different franchise restaurants, Mashburn has gone from a sweet shooter to showing a keen business acumen with smart investments.

Forced to retire early because of a cranky knee, Mashburn never became an NBA champion, but he's winning big at entrepreneurship.

Patrick Willis

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Just retiring prior to the 2015 NFL season due to the scare of long-term injuries, former San Francisco 49ers star linebacker Patrick Willis has found a new home in Silicon Valley—and he's killing it!

The former All-Pro was supposed to be the second coming of Ray Lewis at the inside linebacker position, but he instead finds himself as the executive vice president for partnerships of a growing startup called Open Source Storage.

Willis, who starred at Ole Miss in college and graduated with a degree in criminal justice, is no longer knocking out opposing players, but he is knocking it out with a new business venture.

Shaquille O'Neal

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Life after basketball has been very good to Shaquille O'Neal.

Thanks to all of his crazy sound bites and a one-of-a-kind personality during his playing days, Shaq has gone from a superstar on the hardwood to one of the most beloved analysts in the sports world.

In addition to his gig at TNT, though, O'Neal has seen plenty of other accomplishments, such as earning a Ph.D. from Barry University in 2012 and becoming a reserve police officer in 2015.

O'Neal just seems to be the type of person who can do anything he wants to—which he often does extremely well.

Derek Jeter

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It might be hard to say Derek Jeter's retirement is more successful than his 20 years with the New York Yankees; after all, The Captain did win five World Series titles. But thanks to a digital company that has revolutionized sports media, that's the case.

Jeter's widely successful website, the Players' Tribune, might not pull in the breaking news traffic other sports websites get, yet it's a respected site that gives fans an experience no other site can.

From Kobe Bryant announcing his retirement decision to other athletes penning groundbreaking letters, Jeter has achieved something the sports world had never seen before.

Kobe Bryant

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I know, Kobe Bryant won five championships as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and is generally regarded as one of the top 10 players to ever play in the NBA, but he has plans following his retirement that only Kobe could aspire to.

After dropping an insane 60 points in his final NBA game, Bryant mentioned how he's starving for a new challenge, with the Black Mamba having his eyes on compelling storytelling.

Said to be getting ideas from film icons like Steven Spielberg and Jerry Bruckheimer, Kobe's set to deliver documentaries and other in-depth videos that are sure to give an unfiltered look into the subject matter.

Come on, it's Kobe Bryant. Does anyone really think he's going to half-ass this?

David Beckham

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One of the most polarizing figures in all of sports during his soccer playing days for the England national team and various clubs, David Beckham was always bigger than the sport he participated in.

Since retiring, Becks has accepted the responsibility of being a global ambassador for the game in ways many athletes wouldn't want to, not only staying involved through marketing opportunities, but also becoming one of the owners of the new MLS club in Miami.

It would be easy for Becks to sit back and do nothing but count his hundreds of millions of dollars, but, instead, he continues to give back to the sport that has been so good to him, inspiring others to play it, too.

Dwayne Johnson

One of the biggest action movie stars on the planet after breakout roles a couple of years ago, Dwayne Johnson has shown that his successful wrestling career wasn't the only thing he's good at.

While "The Rock" hasn't officially retired from WWE—Johnson has made occasional guest appearances at big events—he has put it in the rearview mirror as he focuses on continuing to grow a brand that has reached enormous levels. In 2015, Forbes listed Johnson as No. 11 on the list of highest-paid actors in Hollywood, raking in $31.5 million.

Michael Strahan

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A recent Hall of Fame inductee who played his entire career with the New York Giants, what Michael Strahan has done since retiring from football is nothing short of spectacular.

Out of nowhere, the gap-toothed Super Bowl champ became a media darling, going from strictly sports commentary to the biggest star on morning talk shows.

Leaving his gig alongside Kelly Ripa to join Good Morning America caused a stir no one would have imagined, proving just how big Strahan's popularity and booming career in TV have become.