DREW Gooden had the opportunity to play in the NBA for 14 years while also being a teammate of LeBron James for four of those seasons.

And the retired NBA power forward, 41, is deemed to be unrecognizable in retirement after being a successful businessman.

Drew Gooden played in the NBA for 14 seasons — and he was LeBron James’ teammate for four of those yearsCredit: Getty

Gooden played for 10 teams in his careerCredit: Getty

Gooden retired in 2016 and has continued to be a business entrepreneurCredit: Getty

Gooden was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies as the No. 4 pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.

Standing at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds, he’d play arguably his best basketball with the Cleveland Cavaliers alongside LeBron from 2004-07.

In all four seasons, Gooden averaged at least 10 points and eight rebounds per game, even posting a career-high 14.4 ppg in 2004.

The Kansas product went to the playoffs in each season with James as well.

But the Cavs shipped Gooden to the Chicago Bulls in 2007.

He’d have spells with five other teams before his eventual retirement in 2016.

Gooden ended his career with 8,653 points, 5,618 rebounds, and 474 blocks.

However, Gooden began to work on his off-the-court career in 2012 —four years before his retirement.

The NBA veteran was interested in the restaurant business, an industry he knew quite well.

Specifically, Gooden wanted to take on the chicken wings and quick-service business.

He reached out to gain knowledge from former NBA stars turned businessmen Junior Bridgeman and Jamaal Mashburn.

And Gooden would then open his first Wingstop in Altamonte Springs, Florida in 2012.

The Oakland, California, native believes his love for Wingstop is why he decided to go with the chain for his first business endeavor.

“From a customer perspective, I fell in love with the restaurant, it was something that pulled me in,” Gooden said.

“You always hear the horror stories of opening a restaurant, the statistics of them being successful.

“So with the situation I was in, I thought I could beat the odds.”

Now retired, Gooden has been in negotiations to acquire another four Wingstop locations.

He also owns commercial real estate across the southeast, in Napa Valley, California, and the Bahamas.

Gooden is currently a broadcaster for local NBC sports affiliate WRC in Washington as he played for the Wizards for the final three seasons of his career.

And he’s enrolled in an executive education program at Columbia after receiving his communications degree at his alma-mater Kansas in 2016.