Former NBA Star Dwight Howard recently made headlines for comments regarding his spending habits during his rookie year. In a recent episode of this podcast ‘Above The Rim With DH 12’, Howard admitted not having a mentor steer him away from temptations and help him make wiser financial choices, led to him blowing through half of his rookie contract on strippers, cars, and other luxury items.
Howard’s comments, punctuated with the quote “I’m like a kid in a candy store,” sparked a debate about young athletes, financial responsibility, and the allure of sudden wealth.
“It was so tough to listen and it was so tough to to talk because I’m 18. These are grown men the stuff that they want to do, I can’t even do it yet. I remember being in Vegas, just getting drafted, we there for summer league my whole team is out there.
And they like, young fella, let’s go to the strip club. And I’m like, oh, I’ve never been to the strip club. They like, let’s go young fella. And I’m like, oh my God, I get to the strip club, titties, titties, titties, booty, tittie. I’m like, oh, this is, this is it. I could, I’m like the kid in the candy store.
Lady started talking to me. I’m googly-eyed. She knew she had me locked. That T-Pain was already on me. I’m in love with a stripper. She riding, she rolling. I’m dead in love with this stripper. She done had all my money. She just talking to me the whole night about nothing.
Then the guy with the flashlight come ‘you Dwight Howard, you 18, you’re not supposed to be in here, you got to go.’ Got kicked out the strip club at 18 my teammates, they left me… they just stayed in there. But the fact that I had never experienced none of this stuff. I didn’t know what none of this was. You know, so who was I gonna talk to about this? You know, a lot of my teammates at the time, they were telling me, hey, Dwight, get as much women as you want….
‘You Dwight Howard, man. Talk to as many girls as you want to.’ And at 18, I’m watching them, so I’m like, I guess I gotta do this is what I supposed to do this is the cool thing. This is the end thing, get the best cars, get the best women you know, and have sex.
…I don’t think people will understand what that is. I had everything I could have ever wanted you know so it’s like what would you do in that situation? People can always look on the outside, but they’ve never experienced that, like you know, I just, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to do, because I never had no guide. I never had no guide to tell me this ain’t the right thing, young fella. You can’t be doing all this.”
Financial advisors often emphasize the importance of financial literacy for young athletes. The sudden influx of wealth can be overwhelming, and bad spending habits can lead to financial woes later in life.
Howard’s comments serve as a cautionary tale, highlighting the potential pitfalls of financial mismanagement in the NBA. While Howard has achieved immense success, his rookie year spending habits could have been much different with proper financial planning and guidance.
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have implemented programs to educate young players about financial literacy. These programs aim to equip rookies with the knowledge and tools to make sound financial decisions and secure their futures.
It’s important to note that Howard’s comments don’t necessarily paint the whole picture. Without further context, it’s difficult to judge the long-term impact of his rookie year spending.
However, Howard’s story does spark a conversation about the importance of financial responsibility for young athletes. Hopefully, future rookies will learn from his experience and approach their newfound wealth with a focus on long-term financial security.
