Thanks to 13 seasons in the NBA and his relationship with reality superstar Kardashian, though, fame found him.
The former New Jersey Nets player reveals he “didn’t know how to handle” the downfall of his marriage, “because I never thought I was going to be famous in that way.”
Humphries’ family and playing basketball helped him get over the fallout that came from splitting from Kardashian, and Humphries hopes that now in his retirement, people remember him for his contributions to the sport.
“I know that most people will always see me as That F****** Guy from TV. And I get it. I signed up for it,” Humphries concludes. “I don’t want any pity at all. But I hope that true fans of basketball remember me as a grinder, as a guy who transformed into a heck of a rebounder, and as a guy who always tried to put the game in the best light.”
Kardashian’s rep did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment. But she opened up about their painful split and prolonged divorce proceedings in 2017.