Only a few hours left to bid on a lifetime of Dan Issel keepsakes

Those of us making ends meet on modest salaries are always astonished when we hear about celebrities who earn much, much more but still manage to piss it all away. Case in point: Denver Nuggets legend Dan Issel, who declared bankruptcy in June thanks to debts estimated at $4.5 million...

By Michael Roberts

October 29, 2009

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Those of us making ends meet on modest salaries are always astonished when we hear about celebrities who earn much, much more but still manage to piss it all away. Case in point: Denver Nuggets legend Dan Issel, who declared bankruptcy in June thanks to debts estimated at $4.5 million. His belongings are being peddled as part of an online auction that ends at 6:30 p.m. tonight, and the assortment of goodies, many of them one of a kind, is flabbergasting. There are 410 items in all, ranging from personalized awards, many of them decorated with horses per his nickname, to all manner of jewelry and sundry doodads, including a 14 karat gold toothpick.

Paging through all this stuff may offer a voyeuristic jolt, but it's also more than a little sad to think of such a seemingly indefatigable player brought low by financial realities. Even after everything's gone, he still won't be just like the rest of us -- but he'll be a lot closer.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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