Ben Simmons once made a crazy purchase with his NBA paycheck that, unsurprisingly, left him deeply regretful about his spending habits.
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NBA players, and athletes in general, sometimes make rash decisions with their money. Whether it’s overspending on a car, dropping $70,000 at Walmart (see Shaq), or losing millions to gambling, athletes don’t always spend their money in the wisest ways.
Of course, it’s not always their fault. Sometimes when you’re met with that much money at once, it can be easy to fall into a habit of impulse spending. Just take a look at Allen Iverson who lost all his money and was saved by a contract he signed with Reebok.
Gambling problems are especially rampant in players, and many experts believe that this is a result of the natural aggression and competitiveness a player carries.
Simmons’ first paycheck followed a similar habit of spending money on something he probably didn’t need to.
Ben Simmons immediately regretted buying his Savannah cats
Signing with the 76ers was a sign that Ben Simmons was going to do great things going forward in his career. The 76ers hoped that alongside Joel Embiid, Philly would build a championship contending team for years to come.
However, after years of playoff disappointment the 76ers chose to move on and traded Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for former MVP James Harden.
Of course, that trade hasn’t panned out as well as the Sixers would have liked either as Harden completely disappeared in the playoffs, attempting 0 shots in the second half of the 76ers elimination game.
However, that’s besides the point. Moving back to Simmons’ first paycheck, he chose to make perhaps the most exotic purchase you’ll ever hear about. He bought two Savannah cats, one for $4,000 and another for $6,000. So, yes, he spent $10,000 on two wild cats, and well, he immediately regretted it.
“I had two Savannah cats. I had to get rid of them, though. They were crazy,” Simmons commented. “I had one that was around $4,000 and then I got a male who was a second generation, no, third generation, he was $6,000.”
Simmons’ half-brother Sean Tribe also had a difficult time dealing with Simmons’ cats.
“We had them for about four or five months, and I told Ben, ‘We can’t have these cats anymore. This is crazy,'” Tribe said. “He was going on a road trip while he was injured, and I told Ben, ‘I am going to call the breeder and tell them we can’t quite look out for the cats anymore and they can find them a better home.’ He said, ‘Cool.'”
