Male athletes earn a lot of money and fame throughout their careers, and it’s easier for them to find love. Whether during the early part of their careers, their prime or even after retirement, women usually throw themselves at these athletes and it results in a lot of baby mamas. We’re looking at you Dwight Howard, Evander Holyfield, Travis Henry, Antonio Cromartie, and Calvin Murphy.
On the other hand, other athletes take it seriously and get married and produce a lot of children. However, the majority of these marriages end in a divorce, unlike Wayne Gretzky and his wife Janet Jones, who have been married for 29 years. The lovely couple produced five children including the very beautiful, Paulina Gretzky, and they remain together up to the present day.
But for athletes like Derek Jeter, they go through a lot of relationships and women before settling down for good. Jeter is known for his long lists of past girlfriends like Minka Kelly, Scarlett Johansson, Jordan Brewster, and Adriana Lima. It was not a surprise that he found himself a young, beautiful wife at the age of 42 years old. Athletes are not just gifted with good looks and superior genetics, but they also have all the money in the world.
Even if they age and become old, it is easier for them to attract and date younger women, even some who are more than half their age. Here are 15 old athletes who dated and married women much younger than them.
15 15. Michael Jordan
The greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, was married to Juanita Vanoy from 1989 to 2006. At the age of 43 years old after his divorce, Jordan was one of the wealthiest athletes in the world and he had no problem finding a new girlfriend. “His Airness” started dating model, Yvette Prieto, in 2008 when she was 31 years old. Jordan and Prieto dated for five years before getting married in 2013, and they now have twin daughters together born in 2014. The 15-year age difference is not evident since Jordan still looks young at the age of 54, and Prieto at the age of 39. Besides being called the G.O.A.T., Jordan is the current owner of the Charlotte Hornets and he is one of the rare billionaire athletes.
14 14. Derek Jeter
It took an insane number of hot women for Derek Jeter to retire from the dating game. Jeter is not only known for his baseball career with the New York Yankees, but also for his legendary resume of dating some of the most beautiful women on the planet. Jeter’s past girlfriends include Mariah Carey, Joy Enriquez, Adriana Lima, Larra Dutta, Vida Guerra, Scarlett Johansson, Vanessa Minnillo, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Jordana Brewster, and Minka Kelly.
“The Captain” retired from baseball in 2014 and he officially came off the dating market in 2016 when he married model Hannah Davis. Jeter, who is 43 years old, and Davis, who is 27 years old, welcomed their first child together last August, a daughter named Bella Raine. It was not the only great news for Jeter this year as he recently became one of the owners of the Miami Marlins. Jeter currently serves as the team’s Chief Executive Officer.
13 13. Mike Modano
Mike Modano, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and one of the 100 greatest NHL players ever, played 22 seasons in the NHL, 21 of which with the Minnesota Northern Stars/Dallas Stars franchise. In his 18th season professionally, Modano married longtime girlfriend and singer, Willa Ford, who was 11 years younger than him. However, the marriage did not last long as they got divorced in 2012.
That did not stop Modano to find love again as he got married the next year to professional golfer, Allison Micheletti, daughter of former NFL player, Joe Micheletti. The 19-year difference was not a problem for the couple as they welcomed twin daughters in 2014. Modano is now 47 years old while his wife is just 27.
12 12. Shaquille O’Neal
A four-time NBA champion and the most dominant player in the history of the basketball, Shaquille O’Neal currently serves as an analyst for TNT. Shaq was married to Shaunie Nelson from 2002 to 2009, and the couple had four children together, including Shareef, who is one of the most talented high school players in basketball. Shaq also dated reality TV star, Nicole Alexander, in 2010 but they broke up after two years of living together.
However, the 45-year-old basketball legend has been dating 29-year-old Laticia Rolle since 2014. Rolle was a former basketball player for Eckerd College and she has a degree in Business Management. She is also the founder of Bluhazl.com, a lifestyle blog with her sister. The couple seemed to have gotten engaged in March when O’Neal proposed to her on Instagram.
11 11. Bjorn Borg
A former World No. 1 in tennis, Bjorn Borg helped increase the popularity of the sport in the 1970s. Borg is an 11-time Grand Slam champion, winning the French Open six times and the Wimbledon five times. He retired at the age of 26 years old in 1981 due to burnout. Borg was married to fellow tennis player, Mariana Simionescu, for four years before fathering a son named Robin, with Swedish model, Jannike Bjorling.
Borg married Italian singer, Loredana Berte, in 1989 but it ended in divorce in 1993. Despite two failed marriages, Borg had his third wedding in 2002 to Patricia Ostfeld, who is 14 years younger than him. His marriage to Ostfeld is the most successful one because they are still together up to the present day. Borg and Ostfeld have one son together, Leo, born in 2003.
10 10. Kurt Angle
An Olympic gold medalist, Kurt Angle is one of the greatest amateur wrestlers in history. Angle is also a WWE Hall of Famer and he is considered as one of the greatest professional wrestlers ever. He was married to Karen Smedley from 1998 to 2008, and they had two children together, Kyra and Kody. Karen tried to win the breakup by dating Angle’s fellow professional wrestler, Jeff Jarrett.
However, Angle had the last laugh as he started dating actress, Giovanna Yannotti, in 2010 when she was just 23 years old. The 18-year age gap was nothing as the two got married in 2012. The lovely couple has three daughters together, Guiliana Marie, Sophia Laine, and Nikoletta Sky. On the other hand, Karen and Jeff Jarrett married in 2010.
9 9. Hines Ward
Two-time Super Bowl champion Hines Ward is a winner on and off the football field. Ward is a four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he played his entire 14-year career in. Ward is also a successful businessman, analyst, and advocate for mixed-race youths. For those who do not know, Ward’s mother is Korean while his father is an African American.
In his spare time, 41-year-old Ward spends it with his lovely second wife, Lindsey Georgalas, who is just 25 years old. The couple got married in 2014 and they reside in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Ward does not have any children with Lindsey, but he has a son named Jaden with his ex-wife, Simone. Hines and Simone got divorced in 2010, several years before he married his current wife.
8 8. Julius Erving
Probably the coolest human being in the history of the world, “Dr. J” Julius Erving is one of the greatest basketball players ever. Erving was the face of the NBA from the late 70s and the early 80s, winning the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 1981 and an NBA championship in 1983 as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. Erving’s cool game on the court also translated in his personal life as he fathered a total of nine children by three different women.
Julius was married to Turquoise Erving from 1972 to 2003, and they have four children together. He also had a daughter with sportswriter, Samantha Stevenson, in 1980. Erving, who is now 67 years old, has been married to 48-year-old Dorys Madden since 2008 and they also have four children together. Madden is originally from Honduras and she started dating Erving while he was still married to Turquoise.
7 7. Mark McGwire
A 12-time All-Star, and two-time World Series champion as a player and coach, Mark McGwire holds the record for the most number of home runs in a single season with 70. However, McGwire admitted using performance-enhancing drugs during his career and he has not been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. McGwire was previously married to Kathlene Hughes but they got divorced in 1990. They had one son together.
After his retirement at the age of 39 years old, McGwire married 24-year-old Tap Pharmaceuticals sales representative, Stephanie Slemer. McGwire’s past steroids use had no side effects because he already produced five children, three daughters (Monroe, Marlo, and Monet) who are triplets and two sons (Mason and Max), with his current wife. The couple resides in Irvine, California. McGwire is the current bench coach for the San Diego Padres.
6 6. Steve Nash
Steve Nash was single for the most part of his NBA career, but he eventually settled down and married Alejandra Amarilla in 2005. Nash and Amarilla had three children together, twin girls Lola and Bella, and a son named Matteo, before getting divorced in 2011. The cause of the divorce was Nash’s affair with 24-year-old Brittany Richardson.
Although Nash and Richardson’s affair did not last, the two-time MVP bagged another hottie, former Pepperdine University volleyball player, Lilla Frederick. The couple got married in 2016 when Nash was 42 years old and Frederick was just 27. Nash is a future Hall of Famer and he currently serves as a part-time consultant for the Golden State Warriors. He won his first championship ring in 2017 for his role in the Warriors organization.
5 5. Jerry Lawler
“The King” is a wrestling legend and a WWE Hall of Famer. The longtime wrestler and commentator is not only known for his wrestling career, but also for his love of women. Lawler has been married three times, the third one to former WWE valet Stacy “The Kat” Carter. Now at the age of 67 years old, Lawler is in a relationship with a woman good enough to be his granddaughter, Lauryn McBride, 28.
Lawler and McBride have been together since 2011 when she was just 22 years old, and they got engaged 2014. The two are remained together despite being involved in a domestic violence incident last year that resulted in Lawler’s temporary suspension. The couple lives together in their home state of Tennessee. Lawler and McBride are the co-owners of a restaurant in Memphis.
4 4. Jaromir Jagr
“The Ageless Wonder” Jaromir Jagr is already 45 years old but he still in the NHL with Calgary Flames. One of the deadliest scorers in hockey history, Jagr is not only known for his skills inside the rink, but also for his way with hot, young women. Jagr is currently dating 26-year-old Czech model, Veronica Koprivova, after having his way with many young models such as Inna Puhajkova.
The legend of Jagr grew in 2015 when he slept with 18-year-old Czech model, Katerina Provaznikova. The model tried blackmailing Jagr by threatening to post their selfie in bed on a social media site. Provaznikova reportedly wanted a couple of thousand dollars, but Jagr just laughed it off and encouraged her to post it online. Jagr should have no fear whatsoever because he was single at that time and he has never been married.
3 3. Wladimir Klitschko
This relationship does not only have an obvious age gap but also a big difference in height. Wladimir Klitschko, a 6-foot-6 heavyweight boxing legend, started dating 5-foot-2 actress, Hayden Panettiere, in 2009 when he was just 33 years old and she was just 20 years old. Klitschko and Panettiere got engaged in 2013 and they have one daughter named, Kaya Evdokia, born in 2014.
Klitschko is one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, winning the world title twice during his career. On the other hand, Panettiere made her name in TV shows like Heroes and Nashville. Klitschko and Panettiere are one of the oddest couples in the world, not just because of the height and age difference, but also because of their different cultures and backgrounds.
2 2. Diego Maradona
Arguably one of the, if not the, greatest soccer player of all time, Diego Maradona helped Argentina lift the 1986 World Cup. Maradona also won eight trophies for Boca Juniors, Barcelona, and Napoli during his 19-year club career. He had a colorful personality on and off the pitch, and his life after retirement was full of controversies including drug abuse, health issues, and financial problems.
Maradona had two children with Claudia Villafañe and they were married from 1984 to 2004. He has admitted that he was unfaithful to his wife during their marriage. Despite the financial difficulties and his age, Maradona was able to nab 27-year-old hottie ex-footballer, Rocio Oliva, in 2013, when she was just 22 years old. The couple got engaged in 2014 and they remained together to this day even after an alleged domestic violence incident two years ago.
1 1. Pete Rose
Pete Rose, the undisputed hits king of baseball, is not only the leader in total MLB hits, but also the age difference in the relationship in this list. Rose, who is 76 years old, is currently in an eight-year relationship with former Playboy model, Kiana Kim. The 39-year gap was not a problem since they both got what they wanted from each other.
Rose got himself a pretty hot model girlfriend while Kim got the fame and attention she wanted. The couple even had short-lived reality television show on TLC. After getting engaged in 2011, the only thing missing from Rose’s resume is an induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It should be noted that Rose was previously married twice and he has a total of five children.