Miles Bridges was a late lottery pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, so while the former Michigan State Spartan still received a first-round salary, his base contract wasn’t nearly as luxurious as the top selections in the draft. That didn’t stop the forward from splurging with his first NBA contract though. As Bridges revealed it didn’t take long for him to start spending his newfound fortune.
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Bridges signed a four-year, $16.3 million rookie deal with the Charlotte Hornets, with the contract’s first two years guaranteed. The 26-year-old made just over $3 million in each of his first two seasons, but Bridges still decided he needed a big purchase to celebrate his professional career. In an interview with GQ Sports following the 2019-20 season, Bridges showed off his biggest purchases as a rookie, which included a $30k Rolex watch and $60k worth of chains.
While these may seem like questionable purchases for an NBA rookie yet to establish himself, Bridges explained why each piece was important to him:
“My first big purchase was a Rolex. I wasn’t really into jewelry or anything, but everybody said once you get to the NBA you have to get some type of watch so you can look professional.”
The Hornets star revealed he decided on a Gold Presidential Rolex.
The Michigan native also explained each of his chain purchases, which ranged from $5k to $40k. Bridges shared how he bought a chain to celebrate his son, Ace, which ran him $15k. His other two expensive chains included one that featured the letters RTB, which Bridges revealed stands for “Real Trench Baby,” likely an ode to his rough upbringing. The other, his most expensive purchase, was a gorilla chain, which Bridges mentioned was his favorite animal. The unorthodox piece ran him $40k.
Miles Bridges made other important purchases after being drafted
While Bridges showed off how he splurged on himself with his first NBA contract, he explained that not all of his money went to his own desires. Later in the interview, Bridges revealed that he bought a new house for his mom, who raised him and has supported him throughout his life, saying,
“She made so many sacrifices for me, and I grew up in a tough neighborhood so she had to provide any way that she could, and she did.”
Bridges said the house for his mom was the first purchase that came to mind with his big contract, revealing the new home cost him $200k. The high-flying forward also dove into a necessary purchase he made for himself, a new Range Rover that cost him $100k. Bridges may have splurged on unconventional jewelry, but he was also careful to save his money for more important purchases.
