Chad Johnson Explains to Shannon Sharpe Why He Bought the Cheapest Tree for Christmas

Shannon Sharpe has long mocked his ‘Nightcap’ co-host Chad Johnson for being a miser, while Johnson has long shown his pride in being a super saver. In the most recent incident, Ocho caught everyone’s attention after he bought the cheapest Christmas tree available for the holidays. And Unc did not seem impressed at all.

During their recent sparring session on “Nightcap”, Shannon Sharpe bashed Ocho for buying a Christmas tree that is ‘smaller than a baby’. While Johnson voiced his reasoning, Unc was baffled and looked at his co-host with utter disgrace. He even quipped, “Look at that little a** tree!” Maybe size does matter for Sharpe.

Johnson went on to explain that his fiancé, Sharelle, didn’t specify any details about the size or color of the tree. Therefore, he went ahead and got the cheapest one possible. Ocho emphasized that this is exactly what should be expected if someone sends him shopping. The ex-Bengals player said,

“When a woman says ‘go get a tree’ – she didn’t give me no specifics on size, color. If you send me to get a tree, im going to get the cheapest tree that i can find.”

Ocho perhaps keeps his tree up for only one day; as he said, “It’s just one day. We gonna take pictures. I know you are all about aesthetics. It came with lights,” and emphasized that the tree was perfect. His fiancé, on the other hand, wasn’t at all impressed with the tree and posted a picture of it online. It came fully decorated with small, colorful lights and didn’t take much room.

Ocho’s priority has always been affordability, and he himself compared the tree’s size to french fries on his podcast. However, it gave him Christmas vibes, and he couldn’t relate to why his fiancé or his co-host were so against it. He also took to X to get an opinion from his fans about the tree.

Moving further in the podcast, Sharpe’s curiosity peaked which led him to inquire about Johnson’s decision to wait until Christmas Eve to buy the tree. Ocho responded by saying that shopping for Christmas at the last minute gives him the access to best deals.

Unc was left stunned and suggested to Ocho that he should have waited until the 26th, as he could have made an even better deal when the festival was over.

Johnson’s Savvy Money Habits

It is not the first time that Chad Johnson has given a glimpse of his frugal self. He once revealed that his frugality is what helped him save 83% of his NFL salary. Earlier this year, he stated on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast that he does not prefer flying in private planes and instead would take any economical plane that gets him from point A to point B.

He also emphasized that during his playing days, he refrained from purchasing expensive jewelry because he firmly believed that a person’s worth to someone isn’t based on their accessories but on their true self. Moreover, he was never interested in driving luxury cars and wasting time looking rich in front of the world.

There’s another moment that comes to mind when Johnson urged men to stop spending $300 on their first date. In an interview with podcaster Angie Lolo, Ocho conveyed that he didn’t see himself as a high-value man and called himself “extremely cheap and financially conscious.” He stated that he would never go on a first date and pay $300; instead, he would prefer to save it for the future.

Last year, when questioned about his financial status by Graham Bensinger, Chad stated he had been broke since 1978 and was against being called rich. Ocho prefers the word “well off” rather than rich, even after making a fortune in the NFL. After playing 11 seasons in the league, mostly with the Cincinnati Bengals, Chad Johnson, had a career earnings of $48.9 million. Moreover, his current net worth stands at $15 million.