Cooper Flagg, the top overall pick from the 2025 NBA Draft, seems destined to set the league on fire, having already stepped into many brand opportunities following his ascension to stardom. But this lifestyle isn’t something that Flagg has grown accustomed to. Growing up, his family never had a huge pool of money for him to dive into and as such, his mother is making an active effort to keep him grounded
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Since being picked, the Dallas Mavericks star has signed a $13 million deal with New Balance and a $28 million deal with Fanatics. That is an incredible sum for a college athlete, which will only grow once he becomes established in the NBA.
But at the end of the day, Flagg is still just an 18-year-old. He understands the importance of financial literacy, but still has his own desires. “I’m not a big spender,” Flagg revealed in an interview with Chime. “I’m excited to get my own vehicle.” Flagg’s mother, Kelly, quickly inserted herself into the conversation to remind Cooper that there are limits to his spending habits.
“Do not buy a Bugatti right away,” Kelly practically commanded.
Bugattis are quite expensive. The Chiron model, which is one of the most popular among athletes, ranges from $3 million to $4 million.
Although Cooper’s rookie scale contract will result in him earning $62 million over four years, a purchase of that magnitude on a car isn’t the most responsible decision. Kelly gave Cooper a strict threshold that he should abide by when it comes to his first car.
Kelly wrote on a whiteboard $180,000 as Flagg’s limit, which wasn’t too far off his number. He wrote down $200,000 as his rookie year limit. “People might assume that I might buy like a sports car, but I don’t see myself doing that,” Flagg said.
It’s great that Flagg understands the value of his money. There’s a long list of players who didn’t have the same approach as Flagg and splurged large amounts of money on vehicles, regretting their decision down the line.
Players who regretted their vehicle purchases
The majority of players who make the NBA haven’t had the luxury of possessing so much money in their lifetime. The youthful thing to do is to get all the things that they want. Dwyane Wade did just that and learned the hard way.
Wade’s annual rookie salary was worth $2.6 million. Instead of saving it, he spent it on a blue Cadillac Escalade. He considers it “the worst money he has ever spent.”
“I was just sending my credit card to people like, ‘Hey, can I get that Bentley?’ That is not smart, people. Have someone smarter than you who can help you with your money,” Wade said in an interview with Men’s Health.
He isn’t the only one to regret a car purchase. Shaquille O’Neal bought a customized Ferrari for $350,000. It involved a weird procedure to accommodate his height, but in the end turned into a serious waste of money.
“I bought two Ferraris, I bought a real Ferrari, I bought a salvage Ferrari. [I] cut my real Ferrari in half, two pieces of the Salvage to stretch it and then realized I couldn’t fit and then we had to take the top off premier lead, which gave me about 5 more inches,” Shaq admitted.
Flagg can learn a thing or two from O’Neal and Wade’s mistakes. He has a good support system in his mother and the rest of his family, so that should really help as he develops into a true professional.
