From being an NBA champion to winning the DWTS while embracing acting and music video appearances, Iman Shumpert’s career is no mean feat. He may embrace the glam and glory now, but the New York Knicks star came from humble beginnings, with his father working multiple jobs. However, there would be one defining moment where he really locked in and his ex-girlfriend may have had some role to play. And it is not Teyana Taylor.

On Carmelo Anthony’s podcast, the Oak Park native was asked about a moment when he finally came to a realization and decided to lock in. For Shumpret, it was during his high school.

“In high school, I had this girl I was dating. She come over to the crib, we vibing, whatever. I had to explain to her how I share the room with my brothers.” Since his brothers were in the room upstairs, Iman Shumpert was sitting downstairs with his high school friend. “Then it rained and it rained and went through the roof right. But when it start coming through the roof, me and my brothers grabbed the pots.”

Keeping the pots in a precise manner led to an embarrassing moment for the DWTS winner. “We kind of like knew the spot cuz we knew we needed to replace the roof or whatever. I remember seeing her face look like ‘How you know to go right there with the pot like what.’ And I had like this like embarrassed, like pi–ed moment all in one. It was weird as sh–.”

Further, Iman Shumpert explained that in the next 10 minutes, his high school friend’s mother had come to pick her up. “I think she just more so was also you know ‘Y’all got a lot going on. I feel awkward being here now.’” The former Cavaliers player also highlighted she shouldn’t have seen such a situation in the first place. He seems to have come to a realization after that. Explaining his antics of jumping from one court to another for some hooping and watching his father –who had to pick him up — tired from his role, Shumpert admits, “Like money became real to me,” via 7PM in Brooklyn whenever he was off the court.

Challenges follow Iman Shumpert to another home

The 2016 champion met his former partner Teyana Taylor in 2011. They would announce expecting their first child four years later, and one month after the announcement, Iman Shumpert would ask the question. In 2016, the couple revealed their secret marriage. Two years later, they disclosed their VH1 reality series Teyana and Iman. All was going well, but in 2023, Taylor broke the news of the former couple being separated.

The divorce processing was meant to be private, but TMZ leaked the news. The report indicated that Taylor did file for divorce from Iman Shumpert 9 months before the separation announcement. Later Daily Mail reported that the 34-year-old requested to lower his child support. Shumpert disclosed his monthly income of $48,000 and wanted to reduce his child support from $8,000, considering she was earning more than he was.

Meanwhile, Taylor accused her former husband of taking out 4 million from their joint account. And not paying a $200,000 home renovation bill. Currently, there are no back-and-forth words from the former couple as they aim to co-parent their two kids.