When you've got money to burn, we suppose that buying expensive hardware like home consoles doesn't matter all that much. This theory's supported by Giannis Antetokounmpo, an NBA player, who, in a recent interview, says that his teammates buy PlayStation 4s when they're travelling to away matches, only to ditch them at their hotel when they leave.
"On every road trip, the guys buy a PS4 and just leave it at the hotel. Next road trip, they buy another one, play, and leave it at the hotel again," Antetokounmpo said. It may seem excessive - and, come on, it is - but we understand that lugging around a home console as you travel across a country as big as the United States isn't exactly practical.
Nevertheless, we're wondering what exactly happens to these abandoned PS4s. Are they just littered around hotel rooms throughout the US? Do the staff love it when NBA players come to stay? Book a trip in the comments section below.
[source ps4daily.com]
Comments 30
And this is why so many sports players end up broke a few years after retirement.
"Antetokounmpo" try to say this 5 times in a row and fast :/
I really hope the hotel staff do not throw them out. That would be such a waste. Why are these guys even buying them just to ditch them? I understand they CAN do it, but that doesn't mean they SHOULD do it. You mean to tell me it is really that hard for those guys to bring a PS4 with them in their suitcase when they travel? Give me a break.
Whenever anybody says something like - "who's paying $80 for an amiibo?" - or Skylander or special edition PS4 or anything else over priced like that, I'm linking to this video. (I've always pointed out US pro athletes and celebrities as the people who spend money on overpriced things, it's what they do.)
Gee, why do sports players end up bankrupt usually after their career is over? The ps4 isn't that big odd a system, the Xbox one is yea. More money then brains, all I can say.
Easy come, easy go.
Suppose supporting the economy is a good thing.....?
Just hope the cleaning staff who REALLY work -for minimum wages- benefit from it.
Is that why PS4 is dominating in the sales charts?
Most athletes are idiots. Just like most people are idiots. Idiots + money = this.
Why not donate them to children's hospitals in the area?
I feel like a lot of those commenting only read the title and failed to realise that several players are pooling together to buy a single PS4 effectively making the purchase like nothing for each individual, they're all making tons so I'm not seeing how this small thing would be an indication of why professional athletes go bankrupt I'd say lack of driving skills probably have more of an effect.
@Neolit any idea on the total environmental impact of creating one PS4?
Well, I'll be sure to futz around the next time someone's in town for a Mavs game. Get me a free PS4
Seriously though, this is kinda dumb. Even though it's chump change it's still a waste if they just leave it. Doesn't it take time for the installation stuff too?
@Neolit I'm one of those people yes
At least they're not just buying them and going all rock and roll and trashing them. Hopefully some hotel staff are reaping the benefits. If you earned thousands a week don't tell me you would do different.
I wouldn't do that just to avoid entering my sign in info every trip... I guess they don't care about their digital trophy counts if they earn real ones. You know the PS4s go straight home with the help, I can't imagine the hotel owners needing/wanting their kids' consoles to be "second-hand"
Sony needs to walk on the tips of her carbon toes instead of stomping around China and the Internet with her huge carbon feet. They have a 35 year plan (LOL) to reduce their footprint, but apparently digital distribution is environmentally worse than discs now that file sizes are so big. So all their streaming services are really not helping reduce anything, are they? 😕
@Jazzer94 I read the article, but missed them pooling together, but the thing is, most sports players (like 60-80%) go broke a few years afte retirement (partially because no one taught them how to manage finances.) This is just another part of how they are poor with finances. All the stupid things they do add up.
@Neolit To be fair, compared to every other stupid purchase athletes have made, this isn't bad. I've seen stupid things like Latrell Sprewell wanting rims on his sneakers and Marquis Daniels invest in a diamond necklace of his face, so yeah this isn't bad. I just think it's dumb personally because I hate wasting money. And just buying consoles willy nilly and ditching them screams "waste" to me. You do bring a point that they probably don't have time to game and all, but if they're fortunate to make big figures, just don't toss money away.
@Compudoc Hotel housekeepers get more then minimum wage.
That's as bad as Michael Jordan buying a new pair of shoes every game. At least they leave them though in the hotel room instead of just tossing out.
@Jaz007 I'd say it has to do with them buying ridiculous sized houses which require a ton of maintenance and gambling, cars, divorces etc. then buying the odd PS4.
@Jazzer94 It's just indicates how they waste money overall. I'm aware that it's just icing on the cake.
@Jaz007 Most people waste money on frivolous stuff every day/week/month/whatever if you scale how much they earn to the cost of a PS4 it really isn't a big deal and is like a normal person buying a Bluray they watch once.
@Jazzer94 I'd compare it to buying a blu-ray, watching it, throwing it out, then buying it again and repeating the process. By itself it won't make someone go broke, but that person probably does or is going to have financial troubles because they do more stupid things than that, and a on a bigger scale.
@Neolit we're already screwed
I doubt Sony really cares. The moment they are sold, its the buyers problem.
@hYdeks
It's just ridiculous what some of these guys do. More astounding is the amount of athletes who end up broke because they gamble. I can't fathom how some of these guys make in the 100 millions over their careers then somehow end up with next to nothing a few years after retirement.
@Gamer83 It's because once their sports career is over they don't have any income or its so little compared to what they go and their lifestyle can't handle it. That's why the smart ones become spokespeople for products or work in the field as a coach, broadcaster, analyst etc.
#'Merica
I hope they leave a note saying "hey free PS4" I'd hate to think they're not just sitting in lost and found closets.
@Gamer83 Whilst I can understand many of the above comments, I do think athlete's are getting smarter with their money. A lot of the problems stemmed from the 90's when player salaries escalated drastically and the NBA didn't properly educate the athletes about becoming sudden millionaires. During the late 90's and early 2000's, it was very common to hear about these multimillionaires going broke. And whilst gambling, jewelry, cars and mansions are commonly mentioned, what often goes unsaid is that some of these guys were suckered into bad investments, some were ripped off by their agents and, most commonly, that they were too generous with their entourages and their extended "families" asking for hand-outs or loans.
The NBA does a much better job of educating it's young players and I think we'll hear less rags to riches to rags stories going forward. Particularly as a lot of the players try to emulate successful former athletes such as Magic Johnson, who made less money in his NBA career than some players now make in a season yet he was able to build his own business empire. Former players such as Jamal Mashburn and current players such as Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James are good examples of athletes who are investing wisely (though in Anthony and James' case, they make more than enough from basketball and sponsorship).
Player salaries are set to rise drastically in 2016 so it will be interesting to see what happens and how many of them invest wisely.
Regarding the buying of a PS4 in every city, it may be worth mentioning that every player receives a daily stipend of around $100 per day (which I'm sure they don't really need but who's going to say no to free money) and maybe they use this cash to get the PS4s. Seems a bit lazy not to haul one PS4 around, but I guess Sony's not complaining.
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